Destined for Greatness
by katierosefun
Summary: [Medieval day AU.] Anakin Skywalker is a spoiled prince who will eventually rule over the kingdom of Coruscant. Obi-wan Kenobi is just a young man trying to find his place in the world. It would seem almost impossible for the two men to ever meet. However, the Force had something else in mind...[Not slash.]
1. The Force Wielder's Call - Part One

**Hello, everyone! If you're reading this, please take a second for me to thank you - seriously. I uploaded this story before but deleted it because I felt like no one really cared about it...but I'm trying again! *grins* **

**This story is loosely based on BBC's television show ****_Merlin, _****but if you didn't watch it, you can still read the story. :) Now, I think this story will be harder for me to write (mainly because I've never written as Obi-wan in a major story before...) but I hope you guys will like it, anyways. **

**Um, just a couple of notes - Qui-Gon Jinn is still alive here and instead of all of the planets and everything, it'll just be cities. For example, the main city/kingdom in this story will be Coruscant and Naboo will be another city/kingdom and etc. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_No young man, no matter how great, can know his destiny. He cannot glimpse his part in the great story that is about to unfold. Like everyone, he must live and learn. And so it shall be for the young Jedi arriving at the gates of Coruscant. A boy that will in time father a legend. His name…_

Chapter One. The Force Wielder's Call

_Part one of chapter one._

Obi-wan Kenobi thought that he was already excited.

_I was never so wrong,_ he realized as he stopped in front of the gates of Coruscant. People were moving in and out of the famous city, dragging carts behind them and filling the streets in progress.

Coruscant was the heart and pride of the land—with its fine castle and strict ruler, it was said that people would be considered to be lucky to ever visit such a famous place, let alone _live_ in it.

Obi-wan placed a hand over his eyes and looked up. Sure enough, the towers of the castle loomed overhead and he felt another rush of excitement.

"Move, boy!" A man shouted and startled Obi-wan into walking quickly into the city. Almost immediately, he was overwhelmed with the loud, cheerful shouts of traders and shopkeepers, hurrying people, and guards marching past countless stalls of goods.

A small smile spread across Obi-wan's face—Coruscant was so different compared to his own small village.

Shouldering his bag, Obi-wan walked deeper into the streets. His blue-grey eyes searched his surroundings curiously, and he found himself wishing that he had eyes in the back of his head to examine what other sights he might have possibly missed.

Obi-wan put his hands in his pockets, and looked up at the sky cheerfully. Was it true that he was only a simple villager a couple of days ago?

With a great sigh, the young man continued to stroll around the streets. He never once thought that he'd be able to set foot in such a busy, exciting place such as Coruscant. Things back in his own small village of Stewjon were always quiet and simple—Coruscant was just the opposite.

Obi-wan couldn't wait to stay here.

He dug deeper into his pockets and pulled out a fairly small, worn out piece of paper. He clung onto it dearly—it was his own ticket into staying in this new place, after all. According to his mother, he was to study under court physician Qui-Gon Jinn. He couldn't wait to start.

Obi-wan was just tucking the note back into his pocket when suddenly, there were loud shouting and he was being pushed and shoved forward by a crowd of people.

Frowning, he felt himself moving along with the citizens until the crowd came to a sudden stop in front of a—

"Chopping block." Obi-wan muttered blankly.

Sure enough, there was a block of wood sitting coldly on top of a small podium.

Obi-wan's heart sank. He had never seen such an object but heard about it from his friends and other villagers. He didn't know all of the details that came along with the dreaded block, but he knew enough to realize that anyone who had his or her neck on the object was doomed.

Obi-wan looked up slowly. There was a man—in a hood, of course—standing on the podium, sharpening his axe menacingly. Obi-wan shuddered. He wouldn't ever want to be the executioner—it seemed to be a dreadful job. Behind the podium stood one of the castle's walls with a balcony jutting out daintily from the surface.

There, in the balcony, stood a middle-aged man that Obi-wan could only assume was the king of Coruscant, judging by the crown that was perched on his head.

Obi-wan frowned. When he heard the tales and rumors about the glorious and mighty Palpatine, he half-expected him to look…well…different.

However, King Palpatine was a different case. His face was haggard and age wrote itself on his papery skin. His eyes were sunken and hollow, but they were filled with bitterness and ferocity.

Obi-wan made a mental note to never get on _his_ bad side.

The crowd of people suddenly became silent as the sound of drums filled the air. There was a sudden gasp and everyone's head—including Obi-wan's—turned to look at what the possible cause was.

A man in rags was stumbling forward, pushed by several guards. His hands were bound with chains, and he shook like the last leaf on a branch of a tree. Obi-wan watched the man with wide eyes, unsure of what to say or do.

The man looked up and for a full minute, his eyes caught onto Obi-wan's.

Blinking, Obi-wan quickly turned away.

The man slowly mounted the podium and stood, his eyes wide with obvious fear. Obi-wan focused his eyes back on King Palpatine, who had lifted a hand to stop the drums.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all." He said, his voice laced with evident disproval and contempt. "This man, Henry James Smith," the king pointed to the victim, "is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use the Force and pursuant of the laws of Coruscant, I, Acacius Palpatine, have decreed that such practices are banned by the penalty of death." He paused and Obi-wan felt a chill running up his spine. He was liking this king less and less.

Henry Smith was pushed down to his knees, his head forced down on the chopping block.

Obi-wan shivered—it much colder now.

"I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of using the Force, there is but one sentence I can pass." With that, King Palpatine lifted his hand and the crowd gasped in unison as the axe came down on Smith's head. Obi-wan drew back sharply, his own eyes wide with shock.

"When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired with chaos. But, with the help of the people, those who used the Force for evil were driven from the realm." King Palpatine straightened himself and lifted both of his hands. "Therefore, I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the great Force Wielder was captured and Coruscant free of the Force." The king paused and he put down his hands. "Let the celebrations begin!" He announced.

After a dazed silence, the crowd slowly began to disperse. Obi-wan shook his head violently, trying to erase the image of Smith. The fact that Smith's beheaded body was sitting less than five feet didn't help much.

Queasy, Obi-wan backed away a couple of steps. The moment he turned away, however, a loud wail forced himself to look back.

An elderly, filthy woman was standing behind the podium, her shaky hands outstretched, her eyes wide with horror. "There is only one evil in this land and it is not the Force, it is you! _You_ with your hatred and ignorance!" She cried, pointing an angry finger at the king.

Obi-wan looked up at King Palpatine. His face was as cold and hard as stone.

"You took my _son,_" the woman gasped, pointing at the podium with her other hand. "But I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears." She glared up at the king, the sorrow in her eyes replaced with anger and hate. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth…a son for a son!"

At the mention of a son, Palpatine yelled, "Guards, seize her!"

The woman looked around angrily and Obi-wan watched as guards stormed towards her from all sides.

Obi-wan stared at her sadly. The woman would be taken away, he just _knew_ it. The frail elderly didn't stand a chance.

Then, the impossible happened.

Everything appeared to be in slow motion—Obi-wan watched as the woman suddenly _vanished_ from her spot and the guards crashed into each other.

Obi-wan blinked, bewildered. Where did that woman go? He could have _sworn _that she was just standing there a second ago!

He looked up at the king. Palpatine's face was expressionless. Without a word, he ducked back into the castle.

Obi-wan frowned and re-shouldered his bag. He hurried away before he could see any more trouble.

His mind was spinning with the entire concept of it all—how could the king execute someone in cold blood?

Obi-wan shuddered and stopped in front of a guard. "Where would I find Qui-Gon Jinn, the court physician?" He asked.

The guard made a small grunting noise and jerked his thumb into the archway behind him.

"Thank you," Obi-wan replied and hurried along. He made his way into the castle and after several minutes of searching, he managed to find a stairwell that lead to the physician's study and chambers.

Obi-wan reached the top of the stairs and found himself standing before an oak door with nameplate that indicated that it was indeed Qui-Gon Jinn's study.

Taking a deep breath, Obi-wan adjusted his bag over his shoulders and knocked on the door. When no answer came, Obi-wan slowly opened the door, poking his head into the room.

"Hello?" He called out softly. His eyes ventured around the room and he opened the door a bit wider. All around him were tables filled with countless papers, herbs, and concoctions bubbling in glass vials. Careful not to break anything, Obi-wan walked slowly into the room.

"Hello?" He repeated a bit louder.

Obi-wan made his way around a couple of tables and then looked up. An older man was standing on top of a wooden staircase, appearing to be shifting around some dusty books on a shelf.

"Qui-Gon?" Obi-wan asked awkwardly.

The older man didn't respond.

Obi-wan tapped clasped his hands in front of himself and cleared his throat nervously.

The man—Qui-Gon—turned around and almost immediately fell down the stairs.

Obi-wan's eyes widened and without walking even a single step, a chair was pushed in front of Qui-Gon from across the room.

Qui-Gon blinked, obviously confused, and quickly stood up. "What...what did you just do?" He asked, astonished.

Obi-wan automatically looked down at the floor. "_Um…_"

"_Tell me._" Qui-Gon said urgently.

Obi-wan looked back up. "Well, uh…I have no idea what happened." He managed to stammer.

Qui-Gon stared at the young man incredulously. He shot a glance at the stairs and looked back at Obi-wan. "If anyone had seen that…" He warned, but Obi-wan shook his head frantically.

"It had nothing to do with me." Obi-wan quickly said.

"I _know_. I want to know where you learned it." Qui-Gon continued to stare hard at Obi-wan.

The young man blinked. "Nowhere." He replied.

"How do you know the Force?"

"I don't."

"Where did you study?"

Obi-wan paused, unsure of what to say next. He pressed his lips tightly together.

"Answer me!" Qui-Gon said in the same urgent, panicked tone.

"I've never studied or been taught." Obi-wan replied frantically.

"Are you lying?" Qui-Gon asked, taking a step closer.

Obi-wan clasped and unclasped his hands anxiously. "What do you want me to say?" He asked.

"The _truth_!" Qui-Gon replied.

"I was born like this." Obi-wan swallowed, gesturing at himself helplessly.

"That's impossible." Qui-Gon shook his head. He continued to look at Obi-wan up and down and after several moments of tense silence, he asked, "Who are you?"

Obi-wan startled and he quickly shoved his hand in his pocket. "Oh, um…I have this letter…" He murmured and yanked it out with his hands trembling ever so slightly.

"I…" Qui-Gon frowned, taking the letter. "I don't have my glasses."

Obi-wan inwardly groaned. "I'm Obi-wan," he said with a tight smile.

Qui-Gon looked back at Obi-wan, realization dawning on his face. "You're Clara's son?" He asked.

"Yes!" Obi-wan replied, relieved, bobbing his head hurriedly.

"You're not meant to be here 'till Wednesday!" The physician said, surprised.

Obi-wan frowned. "It _is_ Wednesday…" He mumbled awkwardly.

Qui-Gon's eyes widened and there was another uncomfortable silence between them. "Ah." He murmured. "Er…right, then."

Obi-wan inwardly winced as Qui-Gon turned around, pointing to a door. "You'd better put your bags in there," he said.

Obi-wan nodded and made his way towards the door. As he put a hand over the doorknob, he turned and mumbled, "Look, you won't be say anything about…" He gestured to the staircase and the chair.

"No," Qui-Gon replied solemnly, shaking his head. Obi-wan nodded thankfully and he pushed open the door.

"Though, Obi-wan," Qui-Gon called after him. The young man turned around quickly.

"I should say thank you." The physician finished. Obi-wan managed a weak smile and hurriedly walked into his new room without a word.

His new bedroom was small, but not much smaller than his old bedroom back home. This one contained a bed, a wooden nightstand, a window, and a cabinet on the wall. Obi-wan slowly walked over to the bed and threw his bags down on the floor. He sighed and then stretched out his arms.

Obi-wan rubbed his eyes and made his way to the window. He fought open the shutters and the second they were released, a cool wind greeted him.

Obi-wan smiled as he looked over Coruscant from his window. He could see the city lights and the royal flags flying majestically on the tops of houses. He rested his arms on the windowsill and sighed again, only this time with content and hope.

•◊•

Meanwhile, Qui-Gon was sitting in his study, looking over the letter that Obi-wan had given him. His eyes scanned the paper, reading over the words thoughtfully.

_My dear Qui-Gon, _

_I turn to you for I feel lost and alone and I don't know who to trust. It is every mother's fate to think her child is special. Yet I would give my life that Obi-wan were not so. Ours is a small village and he is so clearly at odds with people here that if he were to remain, I fear what will become of him. _

_He needs a hand to hold, a voice to guide, someone that might that might help him find the purpose for his gifts. _

_I beg you, if you understand a mother's love for her son, keep him safe. _

_And may God save you both. _

_Clara _

Qui-Gon folded up the letter neatly and cast a look at the boy's closed door. He would, of course, do as Clara asked. Obi-wan was young—if the king was to find out about his 'gift', he would have his head chopped off.

Qui-Gon shuddered lightly. He doubted that King Palpatine would spare the boy.

•◊•

Ahsoka Tano was staring at the chopping block outside from her window. She drew in a shaky breath, recalling the events that happened earlier today. She had seen the poor man being executed before from her bedroom window and had also seen King Palpatine give the order to do so.

She hated the king for doing such an act—what had the man ever done that could possibly harm Coruscant?

The door suddenly opened and Ahsoka tightened her grip on the window sill, already sensing who it was.

"Ahsoka," the king said, walking briskly over to his ward.

"Yes?" Ahsoka turned around to face her king.

"What is this? Why are you not joining us at the feast?" Palpatine asked with a frown.

Ahsoka crossed her arms, staring defiantly at her guardian. "I don't think chopping someone's head off is a cause for celebration." She replied coolly.

She watched as Palpatine sighed heavily but paid no attention. Ahsoka looked out the window again with sad eyes. "That poor mother." She whispered sorrowfully.

"Simple justice for what he'd done." The king replied swiftly, already turning around.

"To whom?" Ahsoka snapped indignantly. "He used the Force! He didn't hurt anyone!"

"You were not here twenty years ago." Palpatine replied dismissively. "You have no idea."

Ahsoka shook her head. "How long will you punish people for what happened back then?" She asked tiredly.

"Until they realize that there is no room for the Force in my kingdom!" Palpatine replied angrily. He turned away. "You will be with me when I greet Lady Glyyn."

Ahsoka glared at the king's retreating back. "I want no part of this!" She yelled stubbornly.

Palpatine faced Ahsoka sharply. "I am your _guardian_," he hissed. "I expect you to do as I ask. If you show me no respect, at least respect our finest singer."

Ahsoka simply stared at the king and watched as he started to leave the room. "You know, the more brutal you are, the more enemies you'll create!"

The king did not respond. The door slammed loudly and Ahsoka turned back to the window with a sigh.

•◊•

Things were always spooky in the middle of the night, especially for Lady Glyyn. She hummed lightly under her breath, brushing her hair lightly. Soon, she would be singing for King Palpatine and the entire royal court. She smiled to herself at the thought.

Suddenly, a rather loud _snapping_ sound caught Glyyn's attention. She froze and turned around with a gasp.

An elderly woman held a finger to her lips and the Lady felt her senses numbing. She sank into darkness.

•◊•

"_Obi-wan…" _

Obi-wan vaguely heard a deep voice vibrating around his skull and he shifted in his bed, his body heavy with sleep.

_"__Obi-wan…"_

The voice came again and Obi-wan's eyes flickered open. Sunlight was pouring through the window and for a minute, he thought he was back at his village.

Obi-wan's eyes ventured the room and he smiled sleepily to himself. No, he was still in Coruscant.

With a yawn, Obi-wan sat up and stretched. He rolled out of his bed and excited to get through the day, quickly tossed on a new change of clothes before greeting Qui-Gon in the study.

"I got you water," Qui-Gon said with a nod, putting a bowl of food on the table. "You didn't wash last night."

"Sorry." Obi-wan murmured sheepishly.

Qui-Gon shrugged and gestured to the table. "Help yourself to breakfast," he said.

Obi-wan nodded thankfully and sat down. He picked up the spoon and stared at the bowl. He wasn't quite sure _what_ was in the bowl, but it didn't exactly smell or _look_ appealing. Though, wishing not to look rude, Obi-wan shoved a spoonful of the stuff into his mouth.

He regretted it an instant later. It really _did_ taste awful.

Obi-wan hid his wince the best he could, forcing himself to eat another spoonful.

Then, he heard something sliding off the table. Obi-wan turned to find the water bucket falling off and quickly standing up, extended a hand to keep the bucket afloat.

"Oh!" Qui-Gon's eyes widened and Obi-wan, realizing what he did, quickly letting the water spill out of the bucket.

"How did you do that? Did you do it in your mind?" Qui-Gon asked incredulously.

"I don't know how to," Obi-wan shook his head quickly.

"So what _did_ you do? There must be _something_." Qui-Gon frowned, gesturing to the puddle of water on the floor.

Obi-wan winced and rubbed his brow. "It just…happened." He said helplessly. He turned away quickly, looking for a mop of some sort to clean up the mess.

"Well, we'd better keep you out of trouble." Qui-Gon muttered under his breath. "You can help me until I find some paid work for you."

* * *

**A/N: Well, I got carried away and made this chapter a _bit _longer than I had hoped...I'm sorry if I made Qui-Gon out of character...it's my first time ever writing with him. XD Oh, and if you hadn't figured it out already, Obi-wan is a bit...younger in this story. **

**Anakin: *snorts* What? **

**Ahsoka: What are YOU doing here? You didn't even appear in this chapter! **

**Anakin: Well...you didn't, either! **

**Ahsoka: I actually DID. *sticks out tongue* **

**Anakin: ...for five seconds! **

**Ahsoka: Still longer than you! **

**Me: Hey, hey, calm down...Anakin, since you didn't appear (yet,) why don't you do the review notice? **

**Anakin: *grumbles* Review, give constructive criticism...no flames... **

**Me: OH AND WATCH MERLIN! XD Bye!**


	2. The Force Wielder's Call - Part Two

**Hello, everyone! I'm back with a new chapter/part thingie for this story! The thing is, all of these chapters are so long that I split them into parts because there was no way that I was gonna have you guys read over 7,000 words for the first chapter. Heck, I wouldn't ever do that unless it was just some freakishly long one-shot. O.o **

**Anyways, thank you for giving me the time of day to read this chapter - it really means a lot, especially since I want this story to do well. :) **

**And yes, every single person in this story is human. You might be wondering ****_what _****some of the non-human characters from ****_The Clone Wars _****might look like, but don't worry, I'll give you the appearance description soon, when Obi-wan actually meets those non-human characters. (I know that some of you guys were curious about what Ahsoka might look like. :) Don't worry, I won't wander ****_too _****far from her original appearance.) **

**Palpatine also can't use the Force, (sorry, if any of you guys were counting on that,) but he'll be the same, cruel, manipulative person that he was in the ****_Star Wars _****fandom. **

**With that said, enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter One. The Force Wielder's Call

_Part two of chapter one. _

"Here - hollyhock and feverfew for Lady Percival and this," Qui-Gon placed a small bottle on the table. "Is for Sir Owen. He's as blind as a weevil, so warn him not to take it all down at once."

Obi-wan nodded and picked up the delicate bottles. He was just about to walk out the door when Qui-Gon called, "And Obi-wan?"

The young man turned around expectantly.

Qui-Gon's face was solemn as he said, "I need hardly tell you that the practice of any form of the Force will get you killed."

Obi-wan nodded quickly and with that, headed out of the room.

He walked down the stairs and balancing the bottles in his hands, he began the deliveries.

•◊•

Once finished with the last of his errands, Obi-wan walked out of the castle and into the square. The sun had reached its peak and Coruscant was alive with activity.

Obi-wan stretched out his arms just as he heard a man yell across the square, "Where's the target?"

"There, sir?"

Obi-wan turned to see a group of young men (who were probably not that much older than himself,) standing a few feet away from a pale wisp of a man who was holding up a target.

"That's into the sun," one of the men was saying.

The man who was holding up the target—the victim—looked up at the sun and frowned. "It's not _that _bright." He commented.

"A bit like you, then." The man retorted with a smirk.

There were a couple of guffaws from the man's ring of friends and Obi-wan watched with a wince as the victim set his eyes downcast.

"Put the target on the other end, shall I, sir?" Was the victim's only remark.

The man grinned and nodded. Obi-wan watched steadily as one of the man's friends whispered, "Teach him a lesson."

The man held up a knife and twirled it around in his hands with a devilish laugh. "This'll teach him," he murmured and with a casual toss of his arm, the knife hit the target, startling the poor victim.

Obi-wan frowned as the man with the knives held out his arms. "Hey, hang on – don't stop! I told you to keep moving, let's have some fun!"

The victim's face paled even further and he shuffled backwards, still holding the target.

The man grinned and he threw another knife. "Go on, run! We want some _moving_ target practice!"

Obi-wan sighed as he watched the victim tumble around the square, ducking the knives with a short cry as each one hit the target.

This was an idiotic practice – who did this man think he was, anyways?

Striding forward, Obi-wan lifted a hand. "Hey, come on, that's enough." He said firmly.

The man looked up and Obi-wan could see his face properly.

He was actually quite decent looking, and Obi-wan wouldn't have been surprised if he was one of those big-shots who spent most of his time with women.

For one, the man had bright, blue eyes that was filled with a reckless sort of happiness and a small scar ran over one of them which gave him a somewhat rugged appearance. He had a fair complexion and chestnut colored hair and though he looked bright enough, Obi-wan automatically disliked him.

"What?" The man asked, confused.

"You've had your fun, my friend." Obi-wan replied, managing a small smile.

The man walked forward. "Do I know you?" He asked.

"Um…I'm Obi-wan," Obi-wan extended his hand halfheartedly.

"So I _don't_ know you." The man replied, not bothering to take the hand. Obi-wan's hand dropped to his side awkwardly and managed a shrug. "No." He said.

"Yet, you called me _friend._" The man narrowed his eyes.

Obi-wan nodded and pressed his lips together. "That was my mistake." He said.

"I think so." The man replied with a smirk. Obi-wan was beginning to like this man less and less.

"Yeah," Obi-wan nodded again and without thinking, he continued, "I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass."

As he turned around to walk away, he heard the man reply, "And I'd never have a friend who'd be so stupid!"

Obi-wan stopped slowly in his tracks and let out a sigh.

"Tell me, _Obi_-wan…do you know how to walk on your knees?" The man asked, crossing his arms.

"No." Obi-wan replied, looking at him in the eye.

"Shall I help you?"

Obi-wan shook his head. "I wouldn't if I were you." He murmured.

"What are you gonna do?" The man snorted and outstretched his hands.

"You have no idea," Obi-wan replied softly.

The man grinned and took a step back. "Be my guest! Come on!" He spread out his arms.

Obi-wan paused, staring at him. If only he could just –

"Come _on!_" The man challenged with an even wider smile.

Obi-wan set his jaw and swung his fist only to be quickly stopped by the man's hand. He was suddenly pulled to the ground and he heard his opponent whispering in his ear, "I could have you thrown in jail for that."

Obi-wan struggled under his grip and spat out, "Who do you think you are, the king?"

He heard the man laugh and he replied, "No, I'm his _son. Anakin_."

Obi-wan felt his heart plunging and he was suddenly dragged away from the square.

•◊•

Obi-wan's head was reeling as he was thrown across a cell in the dungeon. He ran a hand through his hair and sat down on the ground, his heart beating rapidly in anxiety.

What did he just do? Had he really just tried to punch the king's _son_?

Obi-wan closed his eyes and with a groan, he fell flat on his back on the cell's cold floor.

•◊•

The witch's plan was working. She was still disguised as Lady Glyyn and _no one_ would suspect a thing. She smiled gracefully at the guards of Coruscant as she swung off her horse. She could hardly contain her excitement as she entered the throne room—soon, King Palpatine would pay dearly for taking her beloved son.

"Lady Glyyn," the king smiled warmly. That didn't fool the witch, though—his eyes were as cold as stone. "Thank you so much for coming to sing at our celebrations."

The witch gave a pleasant smile and curtsied. "The pleasure is all mine." She replied sweetly.

"How was your journey?" Palpatine asked.

"Oh, the time it took." The witch said delicately.

"It's always worth the wait," the king replied with a laugh.

The witch gave a small chuckle herself and folded her hands in front of her. "It will be," she murmured with a pleasant smile.

•◊•

_"__Obi-wan." _

Obi-wan's eyes opened and he stood up abruptly, looking for the voice's speaker. He found no one at his cell and frowned.

_"__Obi-wan." _

There it was again! Obi-wan quickly stood up and backed away a couple of steps. He looked around the walls suspiciously. Was someone whispering to him through the stone?

Obi-wan slowly walked towards the wall and pressed his ear against the cool stone. He looked like a fool, for everyone knew that the walls were too thick, but Obi-wan didn't care. _Who was calling him?_

"Obi-wan?"

Obi-wan quickly straightened and grinned when he saw Qui-Gon standing at the doorway of the cell. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as Qui-Gon said, "You never cease to amaze me. The _one thing_ someone like you should do is keep your head down! What do you do? You behaved like an idiot!"

Obi-wan winced. "I'm sorry," he said. "I won't do it again."

Qui-Gon sighed and rubbed his brow. "I managed to pull some strings to have you released." He said quietly.

A wide smile immediately spread across the young man's face. "Thank you!" He whooped joyfully. "I won't forget this."

Qui-Gon smiled dryly. "Well, there _is _a small price to pay."

Obi-wan frowned, bewildered.

Minutes later, he found himself at the stocks and managed to mutter a small, "Oh, God!" before being pelted with fruit.

He quickly ducked his head, automatically wincing as his neck strained against the wood. He heard Qui-Gon laughing lightly in the background and yelled a sarcastic, "Thanks!"

Obi-wan cringed as a potato hit his head – honestly, did these people _care_ about food shortages?

He spat out some seeds and remnants from the fruit as the crowd quickly dispersed in look for more objects to throw at him.

"Oh, that is _disgusting_." He muttered to himself as he looked down at his spit.

Obi-wan suddenly heard someone clearing a throat next to him and he turned his neck slowly to see who it was.

A young woman with dark, curly hair and warm, brown eyes was standing beside him with a sympathetic smile. "I'm Padmé," she said hesitantly, once realizing that she had been seen. "I'm erm…Lady Ahsoka's maid."

"Right." Obi-wan smiled and managed to stick out a hand that wasn't _quite_ as wet as his other hand. "I'm Obi-wan, although most people just call me _idiot_."

Padmé giggled and shook his hand. "No, no, I saw what you did." She said. "You were so brave."

"Or stupid," Obi-wan added halfheartedly, adjusting his position on the stocks.

Padmé smiled sadly. "I'm glad you walked away, though. You weren't going to beat him." She stated matter-of-factly.

Obi-wan rolled his eyes. "Oh, I could beat him." He muttered.

"You think?" Padmé asked humorously. "Because you don't really look like one of those big, strong kinds of fellows."

Obi-wan raised an eyebrow. "Er…thanks." He said awkwardly.

Padmé's eyes widened and she shook her head, a flush creeping to her cheeks. "Oh, no, I'm sure you're much stronger than you look!" She reasoned hurriedly. "It's just…well, Anakin's one of those real rough, tough, save-the-world kind of men."

She looked up at Obi-wan and bit her lip. "And you're, well…"

"What?" Obi-wan asked, puzzled.

"You don't look like that." Padmé replied awkwardly.

Obi-wan chuckled softly and gestured to Padmé. She took a small step towards him and he whispered, "I'm in disguise."

A smile slowly spread across the maid's face and she let out a laugh. She quickly composed herself and then continued, "It's great that you stood up to him."

Obi-wan smiled halfheartedly. "You think so?" He asked.

Padmé nodded. "Anakin's a bully and everyone thought that you were a real hero."

"Really?"

Padmé nodded. "Yes." She said sincerely.

Suddenly, the sound of people and children reached Obi-wan's ears and he looked up. Sure enough, the crowd had returned with – _sigh_ – fresh baskets of fruit.

"Um, excuse me, Padmé, but my _fans_ are waiting." He said sarcastically and Padmé grinned. "But of course," she said with a small curtsey and quickly walked out of the way.

She gave a quick wave to Obi-wan and he managed a small toss of a hand himself before a tomato splatted across his face.

•◊•

"Want some vegetables with that?" Qui-Gon asked lightly when Obi-wan sat down at the table to have lunch. He had washed out the remnants of the vegetables and fruits from his hair, but he still felt the slimy juice slide down his back whenever he closed his eyes.

Obi-wan, however, looked up and gave a small laugh as Qui-Gon sat down across from him. "I know you're still mad with me," he said as he took his spoon.

Qui-Gon gave the boy a small smile and said, "Your mother told me to look after you."

Obi-wan nodded with a tight smile and mumbled, "Yes."

"What did your mother say to you about your gifts?" Qui-Gon asked curiously, clasping his hands together on the table.

Obi-wan sighed and put his spoon down. He thought on the question for a minute and then replied slowly, "That I was special."

Qui-Gon nodded. "You _are_ special," he said. "The likes of which I have never seen before."

Obi-wan frowned. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Qui-Gon shrugged. "Well, the use of the Force sometimes requires a great amount of strength and training—it takes _years_ to truly master it. What I saw _you _do was…almost instinctive."

Obi-wan managed a small smile and returned to his lunch. "What's the point of that if it can't be used?" He mumbled.

The older man sighed. "That, I do not know." He replied. "You are a question that has never been posed before, Obi-wan."

Obi-wan frowned and played around with his food a bit before asking, "Did _you _ever use the Force, Qui-Gon?"

The physician paused and answered, "Palpatine banned such practices twenty years ago."

_That's not really an answer, _Obi-wan thought but instead asked, "Why?"

"People used the Force for the wrong end at that time. It threw the natural order into chaos." Qui-Gon replied in hushed, lowered tones. "Palpatine made it his mission to destroy everything that had to do with the Force back then. Even the Force Wielders."

Obi-wan's frown deepened and he dropped his spoon in protest. He had heard of such Force Wielders from people—they were supposed to be the most powerful Force users that the world had ever known. Actually, Obi-wan had heard that the Force Wielders weren't even really _human. _

"What, all of them?" He asked, eyes wide.

Qui-Gon grimaced. "There was _one _Force Wielder that he chose not to kill." He said quietly. "He kept it as an example. He imprisoned it in a cave deep beneath the castle where no one can free it."

"Now, eat up. When you finish, you'll have to take a preparation to Lady Glyyn. She needs it for her voice." Qui-Gon said, placing a small, dainty bottle of liquid on the table.

Obi-wan gave a small, reluctant nod and finished up his lunch. He grabbed the bottle and ran out the door. It took a while for him to locate where this Lady Glyyn was. Three servants' worth of directions later, Obi-wan managed to find Lady Glyyn's chambers.

He opened the door and poked his head into the room. When realizing that Lady Glyyn wasn't in there, Obi-wan walked in and placed the preparation on a table. He was just about to leave when something caught his eye.

With a frown, Obi-wan looked down at a small book that was covered with mysterious symbols. He could see leaflets poking out of the book and looking over his shoulder, Obi-wan gently turned it over in his hands. It was bound together by string and though it didn't look like much, the young man couldn't help but to feel strangely _spooked _by it.

He swallowed and was about to flick it open when he heard the sound of footsteps nearing the room. Obi-wan turned around and quickly shoved the book to where its original spot just as an older, indignant looking woman walked in.

_Lady Glyyn, _Obi-wan thought to himself as the woman stared at him crossly.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked coolly.

Obi-wan, mind still racing from the book, stammered, "I was…I was asked to deliver this." He grabbed the preparation off the table to show Lady Glyyn. He handed the bottle over to the lady and gave her a small smile, hoping that she hadn't seen him going through her book…or whatever it was.

Lady Glyyn took the preparation and gave Obi-wan a halfhearted, silent smile. She nodded and murmured a small, "thank you".

With that, Obi-wan quickly left the lady's chambers. The second he was sure that he wasn't being watched, he turned around to look at the door. He swallowed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. He was almost sure that he had felt a chill in the room.

Obi-wan shook his head quickly and walked out of the castle. He needed to walk around to clear his head a bit. Obi-wan walked across the square and headed into the market. Immediately, the sound of citizens talking and the call of merchants blocked out his thoughts and Obi-wan let out a small sigh of relief. It felt good to get out of the castle for a minute.

He was just beginning to enjoy himself when a familiar voice yelled, "How's your knee-walking coming along?"

Obi-wan sighed and grinding down on his teeth, forced himself to walk along.

"Oh, don't run away!" Anakin said in a mocking, wounded voice.

Obi-wan froze and finally yelled without looking over his shoulder, "From you?"

"Ah, thank God," the prince said, his voice coming nearer. "I thought you were deaf as well as dumb."

Obi-wan smiled incredulously and said, "Look, I've already told you that you were an ass." He turned around to face Anakin, who still wore the same smirk that he had worn earlier that day. "I just didn't know that you were a _royal _one."

Anakin shook his head and looked back at the small group of men who were standing behind him.

Obi-wan, unimpressed, continued, "Ooh, what are you going to do now? Get your daddy's men to protect you?"

Anakin let out a small laugh and said, "I could take you apart with one blow."

Obi-wan shook his head with a smile and replied, "I could take you apart with less than that." He couldn't stop himself now. Anakin was beginning to bother him like a flea did to a horse and Obi-wan just _had _to do something.

"You sure?" Anakin asked cockily.

Obi-wan glared at Anakin and without another thought, he took off his jacket. Anakin's friends laughed and the prince himself grinned gleefully. He turned around to look at one of his friends and Obi-wan flinched as Anakin threw a small mace at him.

"There you go, big man," Anakin said teasingly as Obi-wan bent down to grab the mace.

The prince grabbed his own small mace and started to swing it around his head. "Come on, then," Anakin said expectantly.

"But just to warn you, I've been trained to kill since birth." Anakin continued, casually flicking the mace to his other hand.

Obi-wan gave Anakin a forced smile. "Wow." He said sarcastically. "And how long have you been trained to be a prat?"

Anakin made an exaggerated sighing sound and said, "You can't just talk to me like that."

Obi-wan laughed and replied, "Sorry. How long have you been trained to be a prat, _my lord?"_ He mocked a bow and Anakin smirked, shaking his head.

For a minute, Obi-wan allowed himself to enjoy the moment before Anakin's mace came down at his head.

With a grimace, Obi-wan ducked and quickly backed away. They quickly proceeded into the streets of the market and Anakin called, "Come on, _Obi-_wan! Come on!"

Obi-wan stumbled backwards and with a start, realized that his mace had gotten tangled in a basket. Cursing himself under his breath, he quickly ripped the mace out and ducked once more as Anakin threw his mace down.

"Whoa!" He yelled as a couple of people were forced to run out of the way. Obi-wan stumbled into a fruit stand and quickly ducked, only this time to see that a fruit was smashed into bits by Anakin's mace.

With a grunt, Obi-wan scrambled out of the way and backed out into a small wood pile.

"You're in trouble now," Anakin smirked.

"Oh, God," Obi-wan muttered and looked up to see the mace swinging mockingly around Anakin's head. He looked around to see that no one else was watching, and discreetly motioned the mace to get tangled into a couple of ropes.

Anakin cried out in surprise and with a grin, Obi-wan stood up and ducked out of harm's way. However, Anakin managed to disentangle his mace from the ropes and ran towards him.

Obi-wan glanced around nervously and calling on the Force again, made a block of wood block Anakin from him.

"Oof!" Anakin grunted as he fell to the ground and Obi-wan grinned. He grabbed his mace and backed up a couple more steps right before Anakin righted himself and swung his mace around.

"Do you want to give up?" Anakin asked, slightly breathless from the fall.

"Do _you?_" Obi-wan retorted. "Do you? Do you want to give up?"

Anakin backed a couple steps away and Obi-wan watched triumphantly as he stumbled into a couple of bags of flour. Obi-wan turned around to look at the small crowd that had gathered around the two young men and grinned. He was about to turn back to Anakin when he caught sight of Qui-Gon giving him a disproving shake of the head.

Obi-wan's smile faded and suddenly, he felt something hit him hard at the back of his knees. Surprised, he turned around to find Anakin hitting him with a broom. Obi-wan didn't have much time to react after that.

He yelled out in pain as Anakin whapped him in the stomach and hit him on the head with the butt of the broom.

Obi-wan fell to the ground and with a small moan, was roughly brought back up to his feet by a pair of guards wearing the crest of the royal family.

"Wait—let him go." Anakin said suddenly, dropping the broom and Obi-wan startled, staring at the prince.

Anakin walked towards Obi-wan and a strange, puzzled look flit across his face. "He may be an idiot, but he's a brave one." The prince paused and shook his head. "There's something about you, Obi-wan. I can't quite put my finger on it."

* * *

**A/N: Well, look at that. No, Anakin won't be using the Force, either. Sorry again. But he'll still be the awesome, cocky guy that he always is. Or maybe he WILL be Force sensitive. Who knows? Heh heh heh heh...if you guys have any questions, please feel free to send them to me through PM or leave it in the review. :) **

**Ahsoka: _I _have a question. **

**Me: Yeah? **

**Ahsoka: Is Obi-wan really...like that? Seriously, I never knew that he had it in him. XD **

**Me: Again, this story kind of takes place when Obi-wan's a bit younger, (and therefore, more rash and reckless, etc.,) so yeah, I suppose he was a bit like that. **

**Anakin: *snorts* Can't believe it. **

**Me: Believe it. XD Oh, and we also met Padmé, the awesome handmaid of Lady Ahsoka Tano. **

**Padmé: *waves shyly* **

**Me: Obi-wan? Where are you? **

**Obi-wan: *wincing* Anakin, you need to stop hitting me with the broom. **

**Anakin: *shrugs* It was fun! XD **

**Me: Well, if THAT was fun, then doing the review notice should be just as fun, right? **

**Anakin: What? **

**Padmé: *laughs* Go on, Anakin. **

**Anakin: *moans* Review, give constructive criticism, and don't leave a flame. Done. Bye! **

**Me: Bye, everyone!**


	3. The Force Wielder's Call - Part Three

**Wow - lots of questions, I see! Well, I won't lie - I was a bit overwhelmed 'cause I personally have NEVER been asked that many questions or given that much of a personal opinion before. O.O Not that that it's BAD, but it was a pretty interesting and slightly overwhelming feeling. However, I'm glad, because if you're asking questions, it means that you're thinking. :) **

**Anyways, just to address my awesome guest reviewers and to answer the questions that THEY asked - **

**Guest Reviewer Panda - I assume the last bit of your last review was a typo, but I'm fine with that. XD YES, I know that I haven't properly described Ahsoka yet, but I WILL, mainly when Obi-wan actually MEETS Ahsoka. I mean, the majority of the story will be from Obi-wan's view. Technically, I guess this story is in third person narrative, (meaning that there really isn't a true point-of-view, but I think it'll be easier for me to describe what Ahsoka looks like if Obi-wan was to see her. **

**And yes, I can see what you mean about how weird it is that Palpatine was able to take down all of those Force Wielders. ****_How _****he did it will all be revealed in time later on in the story. **

**Guest Reviewer ErinKenobi2893 - Again, Obi-wan is MUCH younger in this story...so, instead of being nineteen years older than Anakin, I'm guessing that he'll probably be around two or three years older. Still, he's growing and he doesn't totally understand what position he's in. So, I guess he's a BIT out-of-character, but don't worry, we'll see the Obi-wan that we all know and love soon enough. :) Plus, I've read somewhere that when Obi-wan was younger, he actually happened to be a bit impatient and fiery, too, but later matured as time went on. Most of the stuff that you asked is actually going to be revealed in the later chapters. [THIS GOES FOR ALL REVIEWERS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS - ALL WILL BE REVEALED IN LATER CHAPTERS.] To be honest, I'm not much of a Mergana shipper, either, but I promise you that I won't have Ahsoka liking Obi-wan or vice versa because...well, I dunno, I never shipped them...? And as for the rest of your questions, (who's who, etc.,) well, again, that'll be revealed later. Thank you so much for the awesome reviews, (I am so glad to find another Merlinian/Clone Wars fan!) but I would like it if you would stop posting possible spoilers. Thanks. :) **

**That goes for other reviewers, too - if you watched BBC's Merlin, high five, really, but please try not to reveal any spoilers or anything, because there's a couple of people here who have NEVER seen Merlin and if they do, I want them to experience the show on their own. **

**Thanks so much!**

* * *

Chapter One. The Force Wielder's Call

_Part three of chapter one._

"How could you be so foolish?" Qui-Gon asked indignantly when Obi-wan and he were inside the physician's chambers.

"He needed to be taught a lesson." Obi-wan replied, his jaw squared and clenched.

"The use of the Force must be studied, mastered and used for the good—not for pranks!" Qui-Gon chided. Obi-wan threw his hands up in frustration and whirled around to look at the older man.

"What is there to master?" He asked loudly. "I could move objects like that before I was able to talk!"

"Then you should know how to control yourself!" Qui-Gon replied, gesturing to Obi-wan.

Obi-wan felt something inside of him snap. His entire life was all about hiding that he could use the Force. He just wanted to be himself, for once! Was that too much to ask?

"I don't want to!" Obi-wan yelled. "If I can't use the Force, what else have I got?" Without waiting for an answer, Obi-wan shook his head.

"I'm just a nobody." He said quietly. "And I always will be. If I can't use the Force, then I might as well die."

With that said, Obi-wan turned back around and stormed into his room. He flopped down on his bed and buried his head into his pillow in both exhaustion and anger. He didn't even care if Qui-Gon would be angry with him or not. He was just _angry_. It wasn't fair that other people could live in freedom but Obi-wan couldn't.

The door to Obi-wan's bedroom suddenly creaked open and without looking up, the young man knew that it was Qui-Gon.

"Obi-wan?" The physician asked quietly. Obi-wan heard him walking closer to his bed. "Sit up, take your shirt off."

For a few seconds, Obi-wan didn't move. Then, he pushed himself into a sitting position and shrugged off his shirt. He held his shirt in his hands as Qui-Gon opened a small bag and started to take small vials and bottles from it.

Obi-wan winced as Qui-Gon started to dab something on his back. He could already feel the scabs and bruises from the broom freshening but didn't say anything. Within the next few seconds, the pain started to ebb away and Obi-wan mumbled, "You don't know why I'm born like this, do you?"

"No," Qui-Gon replied quietly, dabbing some more of the stuff on Obi-wan's back.

Obi-wan managed a small, incredulous smile and asked quietly, "I'm not a monster, am I?"

Qui-Gon's hand froze and he glanced down at Obi-wan, who looked right back up at him intently.

"Don't ever think that." Qui-Gon replied firmly.

Obi-wan bit his lip. "Then why am I like this?" He asked. "Please, I just need to know."

Qui-Gon sighed as he put the medicine away. "Maybe there's someone with more knowledge than me, Obi-wan." He said slowly.

Obi-wan fumbled with his shirt and murmured, "If you can't tell me, then I don't think anyone can."

For a few minutes, Qui-Gon didn't answer. Instead, he simply handed Obi-wan a small cup of a strange, blue liquid.

"Here," he said quietly. "It'll help with the pain."

Obi-wan sighed and took it halfheartedly. He drank it down quickly and handed it back to the physician. "Thank you." He mumbled.

Qui-Gon nodded and patted the younger man on the knee. "Try to get some rest." He said and with that, he left.

•◊•

"Will you sing for us tonight?" King Palpatine asked at dinner, glancing over to Lady Glyyn.

The witch gave the king a graceful, charming smile. "You'll have to wait." She replied sweetly.

Palpatine smiled. "You will not deny me," he said casually but the witch shook her head, her smile not leaving her face.

"I'm saving myself for tomorrow." She said. The witch laughed to herself and asked, "Will everyone be there?"

Palpatine nodded, taking a quick drink from his goblet. "Who would dare miss it?"

"How about your son?" The witch asked casually. "It seems a shame to not have met him."

"That's Anakin for you," Palpatine replied with a small laugh.

The witch feigned a sad smile. "Poor child." She said quietly.

"Hm?"

The witch looked up. "Poor child," she repeated. "It couldn't have been easy to grow up without a mother."

Palpatine looked down at his plate. "No." He replied quietly.

"Hm," the witch replied sadly. "The bond between mother and son—it's so hard to replace."

Palpatine cleared his throat and shook his head. "It hasn't been easy." He murmured.

"I'm sure," the witch agreed in fake sympathy. She gave the king a smile and then continued, "Perhaps if you found someone. If you _remarried._ I'm sure you'd have the pick of any maiden in the kingdom."

The king smiled and lifted his goblet. "Perhaps I'll find love again," he said slowly. "But I'm afraid it's too late to replace Anakin's mother."

The witch nodded in agreement and picked up her own goblet. "Oh, yes, indeed." She replied softly. "It's certainly too late for Anakin."

•◊•

_"Obi-wan." _

Obi-wan shifted in his sleep. He opened one of his eyes and looked up. It was still dark.

_"Obi-wan." _

Obi-wan sighed and kicked off his blankets in annoyance. What was calling him? Why couldn't he be left alone tonight?

With a sigh, he sat up and tugged on his boots. He needed to find this person or thing who was calling him. Maybe Obi-wan could get the voice to stop talking to him.

Obi-wan grabbed his jacket off his desk and slowly headed out of his bedroom. He found himself walking through Qui-Gon's chambers and made his way across without waking the physician up.

He reached the door and Obi-wan ran out of the chambers. He walked through the halls of the castle and closed his eyes.

He could _feel _where the voice was coming from. Obi-wan frowned, concentrating harder, and walked deeper into the castle. He rounded a corner and walked down a small flight of stairs. Obi-wan was about to walk further down when he caught sight of a pair of guards, rolling a pair of dice across a small, wooden table. He held his breath and looked past the guards. There was a small, tunnel structure with a stairwell going down into darkness.

_Come here. _The voice whispered and Obi-wan took in a deep breath.

He reopened his eyes and with a wave of his hand, caused the dice to fly off the table. The guards startled, and, looking uneasy, walked towards the dice.

Obi-wan smiled despite himself and moved the dice a bit further away. The guards followed the dice, a stupid, dazed look spread across their faces.

Shaking his head in wonder, Obi-wan quickly ran down the stairs and grabbing a small torch from the hall, walked down the dark stairs.

_You're almost here, _the voice whispered and Obi-wan came to a stop in front of an arch. He narrowed his eyes and walked through it with wide eyes.

A large, spacious room spread out before him. There were torches on almost every single part of the wall and at the very center of the room was an old, tall man with strange, blue eyes. Obi-wan blinked, suddenly noticing that the man didn't have any whites in his eyes—instead, it was just pure black besides the blue irises. His feet were shackled by chains, but that didn't keep the man from occasionally changing his form. Sometimes, he appeared to look like a towering, elderly man, and sometimes he looked like a large, glowing griffin.

But besides the man's strange appearance, Obi-wan was puzzled by the most unusual thing of all—he could almost _feel _the Force radiating off of him.

"You're the Force Wielder." Obi-wan said in awe and the man nodded in reply.

"I'm here." He said simply and the Force Wielder examined Obi-wan with great interest.

"How small you are, for such a great destiny." He said quietly. Obi-wan frowned, taking a few tentative steps forward.

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly. "What destiny?"

The Force Wielder clasped his hands together and replied, "Your gift, Obi-wan, was given to you for a reason."

Obi-wan felt his heart beat faster in excitement and murmured, "So there is a reason…"

The Force Wielder nodded. "Anakin is the once and future king, who will unite this kingdom and the kingdoms beyond." He said and Obi-wan blinked.

Anakin? A king? A king who would 'unite the kingdom and the kingdoms beyond'?

"Right." Obi-wan muttered, unsure whether to believe the Force Wielder or not.

"But he faces many threats from friend and foe alike," the Force Wielder continued, his ancient eyes staring directly into Obi-wan's.

"I don't see how this has anything to do with me." Obi-wan replied slowly. Had he really come down here just to hear this Force Wielder tell him about _Anakin? _The very same Anakin that _tried to take his head off with a mace? _

"Everything!" The Force Wielder replied sharply. "Without you, Anakin will never succeed. Without you, the kingdoms will never unite!"

Obi-wan shook his head incredulously. "No," he said firmly. "No, you've got this all wrong."

"There is no right or wrong, Obi-wan," the Force Wielder replied. "Only what is and what isn't."

Obi-wan spread out his arms. "If anyone wants to kill him, they can go ahead. In fact, I'll help them!" He said indignantly.

The Force Wielder let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "None of us can choose our destiny, Obi-wan…and none of us can escape it."

Obi-wan's ears were ringing. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"No," Obi-wan muttered, shaking his head harder. "There must be another Anakin, because this one is an idiot!"

The Force Wielder smiled. "Perhaps it's your destiny to change that." He said quietly. With that, the Force Wielder suddenly changed back into a griffin and took off deeper into his prison.

"Wait—stop! I need to know more!" Obi-wan shouted but the Force Wielder was already long gone, undoubtedly flying around the different parts of his prison or Force-knows-what.

Obi-wan sighed and turned back around. Hopefully, Qui-Gon hadn't woken up and found out that he had been gone.

•◊•

Obi-wan was awoken abruptly by a rather annoyed Qui-Gon Jinn.

"Have you seen the state of this room?" Qui-Gon asked, looking around Obi-wan's bedroom. Obi-wan looked up and he winced. He was never one to mess up his own bedroom, but last night, seeing that he had returned late, he didn't give so much as a single thought to placing his jacket or his boots or any of his things, for that matter, in its proper place.

"It just happened," Obi-wan replied lightly. _And it won't happen again, because hopefully, I won't be seeing the Force Wielder anymore…_

"By the Force?" Qui-Gon asked with a raised eyebrow.

Obi-wan smiled and managed a small shrug. "Let's say that," he replied.

"Yes, well…I'm sure you can clean it up without using the Force." Qui-Gon said. "And you'll have to deliver this," he passed Obi-wan a small bottle, "to Lady Ahsoka. Poor girl's having nightmares."

Before Qui-Gon walked out of Obi-wan's room, his jacket was tossed onto his bed.

Obi-wan sighed as Qui-Gon left and muttered under his breath, "I know the feeling."

He did as the physician told him and cleaned up the rest of his room. Obi-wan smiled to himself, satisfied with his job, and put on some proper clothes before heading out the door.

•◊•

Finding Lady Ahsoka's room was much harder than Obi-wan thought. He mounted the stairs with ease and after getting directions from a numerous amount of servants, he managed to find Ahsoka's chambers.

He found that the door was already open and slowly walked in, stopping shortly to find a young woman smoothing out her blonde hair.

"You know, Padmé, I've been thinking about Anakin," the woman was saying, not bothering to look at Obi-wan and with a stricken expression, the young man realized that this woman thought that _he _was Padmé…which meant that this woman must have been Ahsoka.

Ahsoka had shoulder-length, blonde hair that was slightly curled at the tips and bronze colored skin. When she moved behind the screen, Obi-wan caught sight of a pair of cheerful, blue eyes.

_I need to tell her that I'm not Padmé, _he thought frantically but before he could open his mouth, Ahsoka continued, "I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole. Pass me that dress, will you, Padmé?"

Obi-wan looked down to see a red dress draped over a chair. He bit down on his lip nervously and slowly took it.

"I mean, the man is _such _a joke. Just because I'm the king's ward doesn't mean that I have to accompany him to the feast, does it?" She asked with a small laugh.

Obi-wan held the dress up in front of him, ducking his head. He couldn't believe that he was doing this.

Dear Force, what was he doing again?

"Well, does it?" Ahsoka asked, turning around and Obi-wan ducked underneath the dress again.

"Mm-hm," Obi-wan murmured quickly, pitching his voice an octave. He quickly passed Ahsoka the dress and ducked low to the floor. Thankfully, she didn't see Obi-wan.

"If he wants me to go, he should just invite me," Ahsoka continued. "And he hasn't. So do you know what this means?"

"Mm-hm," Obi-wan replied, crouching lower to the floor.

Ahsoka paused and then asked, "Where are you?"

Obi-wan grabbed another dress and holding it up to his face, replied in the same, high-pitched voice, "Here!"

Obviously satisfied, Ahsoka turned back around. "It means I'm going by myself." She said.

Obi-wan let out a small sigh and slowly lowered the dress. He placed the solution that Qui-Gon had made for Ahsoka on the table and was just about to walk out of the door when Ahsoka said, "I need some help with this fastening."

The young man froze and he bit down on the insides of his cheek nervously. What to do, what to do?

"Padmé?" Ahsoka called again and this time, a familiar, friendly voice replied, "I'm here."

Obi-wan whirled around, never so delighted to see a friendly face. He mouthed, 'help me!'

Padmé nodded slowly and smiled, shaking her head. She pointed out the door and Obi-wan grinned. He made a small, incredulous gesture and with a giggle, Padmé pointed out the door again.

Obi-wan nodded, still grinning, and walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka finally got out from behind the screen and smiled at Padmé. "So, it's whether I wear _this _little tease," she said, holding up a red dress and whirled around, this time, holding up a different dress. "Or I give them a night that they'll _really _remember."

Padmé smiled widely at Ahsoka and the two young women lapsed into giggles.

•◊•

"Lady Glyyn, compliments from King Palpatine," a maidservant said sweetly, giving the witch a small curtsey, holding a bowl of fresh fruit.

The witch smiled and said, "Come in."

The maidservant smiled and walked inside the room, closing the door behind her. She set the bowl of fruit on the table and quickly walked around the room, cleaning and neatening things up.

"So sweet," the witch said delicately, taking an apple from the bowl and taking a bite into it. "How will I ever repay him?"

"When he hears you sing, that'll be more than enough, won't it?" The maidservant asked cheerfully, clearing the table. "I'm really looking forward to your performance!"

The witch swallowed the bite of apple and smiled. "So am I," she said softly.

"I love singing," the maidservant continued. "I sing all the time. My betrothed says that I have the voice of a fallen angel!"

The maidservant suddenly knocked over a book from the desk and the book split open. The witch froze and looked down at the maidservant, who was murmuring apologies and picking up the papers. Suddenly, she stopped and the maidservant quickly stood up, taking a better look at the insides of the book.

_Of course, _the witch thought to herself. _She must have seen the letters of the Force…_

The maidservant slowly looked up at the witch and started to walk out of the room, undoubtedly to warn the others. However, the witch quickly made a grasping movement with her hand and the maidservant was levitated into the air. The maidservant's eyes widened, her hands clawing at an invisible fist for breath.

The witch's eyes narrowed and within the next second, the maidservant's body went limp and she fell to the ground, the life drained out of her.

The witch hummed softly under her breath and calmly walked out of her chambers. She had a performance to give to the entire royal court of Coruscant.

•◊•

Obi-wan and Qui-Gon walked into a large, great dining room when the clock struck eight.

The room was filled with the sounds of laughter and chatter and Obi-wan could see people moving around the room to greet one another.

Obi-wan smiled to himself and then his eyes drifted over to a familiar, but not-so-friendly face.

Anakin was laughing loudly with his group of friends, and for a second, both he and Obi-wan's eyes locked onto each other. However, the second the two men realized that they had seen each other, they both looked away.

Obi-wan turned back around and blinked.

Lady Ahsoka was walking through the crowd gracefully, wearing a light blue dress and a small, shy smile. Her hair was piled up as a delicate bun at the top of her head and she occasionally looked up to meet the eyes of awestruck, staring men.

Obi-wan looked around and he heard Anakin mutter in a hushed voice, "God have mercy."

The young man couldn't help but to snort and Qui-Gon nudged him. "Obi-wan, you're not here to gawk and stare at other people. Be polite." He chided.

"What? Of course," Obi-wan replied, bowing his head. However, he couldn't help but to continue to snicker at Anakin's expression.

"She looks great, doesn't she?"

Obi-wan turned around to find Padmé smiling at him. She, like Obi-wan, wasn't dressed for the occasion, but she wore the same, shy smile that Ahsoka had when she walked into the room.

"Yes, she does, I suppose," Obi-wan replied. He couldn't really lie—Lady Ahsoka _did _look beautiful, but he couldn't ever imagine himself taking a proper liking in her, especially since he almost had to help Ahsoka with fastening a dress earlier that day.

Force, he didn't even want to think about that.

"Some people are just born to be queen," Padmé said with a happy sigh.

Obi-wan blinked and turned around to look at the maidservant with wide, surprised eyes. "No," he said, stunned.

Padmé shrugged. "I hope so, one day," she said in the same, light tone. She blinked and continued hurriedly, "Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Anakin?"

Obi-wan laughed lightly under his breath. "I thought you liked those rough, tough, save-the-world kinds of men." He said teasingly.

"No, I like ordinary men, like you." Padmé replied.

Obi-wan lifted an eyebrow and shrugged. "Believe me, Padmé, I'm not ordinary." He said slowly.

Padmé blinked and she blushed, shaking her head quickly. "Oh, God, no, I didn't mean _you_—definitely not you. But just…ordinary men _like _you."

Obi-wan's eyebrow went up higher and, unsure how to answer to that, slowly replied, "Thanks."

Padmé nodded and the two grinned at each other awkwardly before going back to work.

Suddenly, King Palpatine stood up and the entire dining hall went quiet.

"We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity," he said. "It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures, but few of us can compare with the honor of introducing Lady Glyyn of Mora." With that, the king gestured to the front doors of the dining hall.

Obi-wan turned around to watch the doors open, revealing the Lady Glyyn. The hall got quieter, (if that was even possible,) and Lady Glyyn opened her mouth to sing.

At the very first note, the audience was enchanted. Obi-wan himself was impressed—the words were of a different, ancient language, and the melody was soothing and haunting.

_Go to sleep, _the song seemed to whisper. _Sleep…_

_Sleep sounds nice…_Obi-wan thought to himself drowsily and opened his eyes with a start. What was he thinking? What was going on?

He looked around the room quickly to see if anyone else was wondering the same thing, only to see that everyone else was also nodding off. Obi-wan stared back at Lady Glyyn, only she did not notice him. She continued singing.

_The song, _Obi-wan thought desperately to himself and clamped his hands over his ears. He looked around the room frantically as more and more people fell asleep. The lights on the candles slowly flickered out and Obi-wan looked back up to see that Lady Glyyn was nearing Anakin.

Obi-wan frowned, confused, and then flinched when she pulled out a dagger. She sang louder and before Obi-wan could even get a grasp of what he was doing, he called on the Force to have a plate smash against the side of her head.

Lady Glyyn cried out in pain and she stumbled to the floor. The song immediately stopped.

Obi-wan slowly removed his hands from his ears, surprised to find out that they were ringing. He looked back around the room, this time to see that people were slowly waking up from the song. They all shook their heads, bewildered, and Palpatine himself stood up.

Obi-wan held his breath as they all looked down at the fallen form of Lady Glyyn. There was a sudden gasp—the Lady Glyyn was slowly transforming in front of their eyes.

The youth of Lady Glyyn slowly vanished and was replaced by an old, frail looking woman. Obi-wan blinked, shocked. It was the very same woman from the chopping block just a few days ago.

_"A son for a son." _

The entire thing suddenly became clear to Obi-wan. The Force user…the witch wanted to kill Anakin.

Suddenly, the witch sat up and grabbed her dagger. With a loud cry, she flung it towards Anakin.

Time seemed to slow down for Obi-wan. He looked back at Anakin, who looked almost frozen in his spot as the dagger came nearer and nearer towards him.

Obi-wan, not giving another second to think, called on the Force to slow the dagger down. In those extra, precious seconds, Obi-wan grabbed a hold of Anakin and forced him to duck down.

The two young men stumbled to the ground and they both looked up to see that the dagger had pierced the wood of Anakin's seat, but not the prince himself.

They looked at each other, stunned, and looked back at the witch, who had fallen back to the floor.

Anakin and Obi-wan quickly stood back up and the king rushed to Obi-wan, his face filled with shock.

"You saved Anakin's life," he said, surprised. "A debt must be repaid."

Obi-wan shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Oh…" He murmured. "It's all fine…"

"Don't be modest. You must be rewarded," the king continued. "You'll be awarded a position in the royal household."

Obi-wan blinked, stunned, and was preparing to protest when Palpatine clapped Anakin's shoulder and went on to say, "You shall be Prince Anakin's manservant."

"Father!" Anakin protested angrily but the king moved forward with a smile on his face.

The court gave a small cheer to Anakin and Obi-wan and the two young men looked at each other, both of their expressions bewildered and hard.

Then, they both looked away with a small moan.

Strangely enough, both of the men were thinking about how awful the next few years of their lives would be at this position.

•◊•

Obi-wan was sitting on his bed, exhausted from this night's activities. He couldn't believe it—did he really just save Anakin's life?

The door to his bedroom suddenly opened and Qui-Gon walked in, carrying a small bundle underneath his arms.

"Seems like you're a hero," he said.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Obi-wan asked halfheartedly.

"No," Qui-Gon said quietly. "I knew that you were special from the moment I met you. You saved my life, remember?"

Obi-wan sat up, disbelieved. "But…that was from using the Force, remember?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "Now, it seems that we've finally found a use for it." He replied.

Obi-wan blinked. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Qui-Gon smiled. "I saw how you saved Anakin's life," he replied. Obi-wan opened his mouth to protest but the physician shook his head.

"Perhaps that is your purpose," Qui-Gon finished.

Obi-wan sighed and managed a small shrug in reply. Was it really true? Was it really his destiny to save Anakin's life?

Oh, Force.

"My destiny." Obi-wan muttered.

"Indeed," Qui-Gon agreed. He suddenly reached down to remove the bundle from underneath his arms and handed the thing to Obi-wan.

"This book was given to me when I was your age," the physician said quietly. "But I have the feeling that it will be of more use to you than to me."

Obi-wan frowned but unwrapped the bundle. In the midst of the cloths, a large, ancient looking book looked back up at the young man.

He flipped through it and smiled. Pages and pages of illustrations of people levitating things, saying things, just simply _using the Force_ were in the book. Obi-wan looked back up at Qui-Gon gleefully.

"I will study every word," he said enthusiastically. Qui-Gon nodded with a small smile on his face. "I know you will," he replied. "You must keep that book hidden."

Obi-wan nodded and murmured, "Thank you."

"You are most welcome." Qui-Gon replied quietly.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Obi-wan quickly shoved the book underneath his bed and a guard poked his head into the room.

"Obi-wan Kenobi? Prince Anakin requests your presence." The guard said.

Obi-wan nodded and gave Qui-Gon a grimace. The older man smiled and said quietly, "Your destiny is calling – you better see what he wants."

Obi-wan sighed and straightening himself, gave the physician another halfhearted smile and ran out the door.

* * *

**A/N: Again, thank you so much for all of the support - I really want this story to do well. :) And, if anyone's wondering, NO, this story won't be an Obidala or whatever because I just don't ship them. -.- Maybe I'll tease the pairing, but you guys can rest assured that I won't pull a fast one and make you guys read Obi-wan suddenly liking Padmé or vice versa...I just thought that the two would be very, very good friends, seeing that they were in the Clone Wars and in Star Wars and etc. **

**Same thing goes for Anisoka. This story won't (really) be an Anisoka, but I will certainly tease the pairing. However, again, I'm not gonna pull a fast one and have you guys read Anakin liking Ahsoka or vice versa...if any of you guys know the reasoning behind this decision because you've watched BBC's Merlin, please don't give away the plot. XD **

**Ahsoka: I've noticed that your notes are getting longer. O.O **

**Me: Yeah, well, I'm getting obsessed with this idea. Seriously. **

**Anakin: Obi-wan's my manservant? Bwahahahahahaha - **

**Obi-wan: Haha, very funny. *rolls eyes* **

**Me: It's just in the story, Anakin. Don't take it seriously. **

**Anakin: Hm...**

**Me: But Obi-wan HAS saved your butt a lot...**

**Anakin: Only a few times! I usually save HIM! **

**Obi-wan: The time on Geonosis doesn't count! **

**Anakin: *snorts* Actually, Master, I specifically remember that YOU - **

**Ahsoka: Er...guys? Hello? I wasn't there! *pouts* **

**Anakin: Sorry, Snips. *winces* Er...review, give constructive criticism, no flames. **

**Me: Since when did you want to do the review notice?  
**

**Anakin: Since two seconds ago. Don't get used to it. Goodbye, everyone!**


	4. True Bravery - Part One

**Hello, everyone! I'm back with a new chapter! **

**School is almost out for me, seeing that I only have two-three weeks left, and it's mostly exams stuff. Bad news is that I'll have to study more, seeing that these exams are SUPER important, as I'm sure that most of you guys already know. My grades have also been slipping a bit - not too much, of course, but they're definitely not as high as I'd like them to be. Then again, I've got the strange feeling that it's only because I'm human and I'm tired of studying my butt off. Seriously. School needs to end NOW. **

**However, thank you for sticking with me! It means so much to know that you guys are reading this! :) **

**Now, with that said, read on and enjoy! **

* * *

_In a land of myth and the Force, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young man. His name? _

Chapter Two. True Bravery

_Part one of chapter two_

Cad Bane was a strange, dangerous man and there were many traits he had that told everyone that.

For one, he didn't look like everyone else – his skin had an unhealthy, blue tinge to it from a damn Force using child who thought that it would be funny to get him into an accident, which resulted in serious drug overdoses and leaving the bluish tinge permanently on his skin. He had odd, dark eyes that almost looked like a rusty, red color, even though they were really just a simple, dark brown.

However, Bane didn't mind – he personally liked the idea of having red eyes. It made him much more intimidating, after all.

Not that he couldn't get any more intimidating – he was a royal knight to one of the kingdoms in this land. People often got out of his way when he told them too, already.

No, the appearance was just a bonus.

So, Bane was grateful that people automatically made their way away from him when he walked into the dimly lit tavern near Coruscant. He was to participate in a tournament which would have a cash award for the winner. Though Bane was a knight, he needed the money – he planned to get out of the royal court and pave his own path with it.

And, though he was a good fighter and handy with a sword, Bane didn't think that it'd hurt to have a bit of…ah, _protection. _

Bane made his way through the crowded tavern and pushed open a door, which led to a deserted hall. There, one, lonesome man stood in the dimly lit hallway, carrying a rather odd-shaped bundle.

"I believe you have a shield for me," he murmured, stopping in front of the man.

The man gave Bane a smile, revealing several mossy teeth. He unwrapped the bundle, revealing a polished, green and yellow shield with snakes emblazoned on the metal.

"With your sword craft and this shield, I'll guarantee you win," the man whispered.

Bane watched the shield, his face betraying no emotion. "Show me how it works," he simply replied.

"Certainly." The man nodded and he turned to the shield, holding out a hand. Bane watched with widened eyes as he waved his hand in front of the snakes, murmuring a few words with encouragement. It was somewhat incredible to watch – the man's words seemed to have an odd effect, almost as though a strange, powerful force was vibrating around the air.

Suddenly, the sound of hissing brought Bane back to reality and he flinched as he saw snakes protruding from the shield. Real snakes, this time, not the painted ones.

"When you're competing in the tournament," the man whispered, adjusting the shield in his hands, "you'll have to pin your opponent under the shield. One of the snakes will strike and your opponent will be paralyzed."

With that being said, the man slowly handed the shield over to Bane. He murmured a few more words and whispered, "The snakes are now under your command. They will do anything you tell them to do."

"Anything?" Bane whispered, a greedy glint in his eyes.

The man leaned in and replied, "Just say the word."

Bane smiled to himself as he stared down at his new shield. He turned back to the man, who was smiling widely, obviously pleased.

_Pity, _Bane thought to himself. _I could use him in the future…_

However, Bane wasn't stupid – he couldn't leave his partners alive.

"Kill him." Bane said coldly and the man's eyes widened as the snakes lunged forward, all of their jaws opened.

When the tavern owner walked into the hallway to find the dead man, Bane was already miles and miles away, riding for Camelot.

In the morning, Bane had reached the city's gates. He had his shield and sword at his side when he strode up to the small, wooden stand that welcomed the tournament participates. Bane threw down his own registration letter, along with a small pin that his lord had given to him.

"Knight Cad Bane of the Western Isles," he growled. "I'm here to compete for the tournament."

"Welcome to Coruscant," was the simple reply.

Cad Bane nodded and turned around to examine the city. _Welcome, indeed, _he thought to himself.

•◊•

Obi-wan Kenobi was exhausted. He hated being Anakin's manservant, even though he was repeatedly told that it was supposed to be a great honor.

At first, Obi-wan had thought that it'd be simple – being a manservant couldn't be that hard, yes? He had figured that it'd just be simple things, like cleaning out Anakin's clothes and making his bed and such.

But no, Anakin insisted that Obi-wan was to be his opponent in every single combat practice he had. It didn't matter what the practice was really about – it could range from hand to hand combat, (Obi-wan's least favorite,) to jousting. (Obi-wan liked horses. He did _not _like carrying a lance pole. He still had bruises from the last time he practiced jousting with Anakin!)

So now, the young man was struggling to hold a sword upright, covered from head to toe in flimsy armor and trying to hold up his shield in his other hand in the process. (Needless to say, he was failing.)

Obi-wan heard Anakin sighing impatiently.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Would it make any difference if I said no?" Obi-wan asked, jamming on his helmet and dropping both shield and sword in the process. Anakin sighed and turned around, swinging his sword around in impressive, wide strokes.

"Not really," the prince replied casually and Obi-wan grabbed his sword and shield.

Suddenly, Anakin turned around and started swiping at Obi-wan with his sword, calling out warnings every few seconds.

"Body," he yelled and Obi-wan was forced to quickly use the sword to defend his body and so forth.

"Shield, body, shield!" Anakin continued to shout, still swinging at Obi-wan. The manservant was beginning to feel utterly confused – the orders were coming in a bit too fast for his own taste.

"Shield," Obi-wan said quickly, just in time to protect himself from Anakin's sword. Though the prince had promised that he wouldn't impale him, Obi-wan couldn't be too sure, especially since the two young men were less-than-enthusiastic with their arrangement.

"Head!" Anakin suddenly yelled and Obi-wan blinked, pausing.

"Head?" He asked, confused, and the flat end of Anakin's sword came crashing down on Obi-wan's skull. He winced and muttered a small, "Ow!"

"Oh, come on, Obi-wan, you're not even trying!" Anakin said impatiently, swinging his sword and then hitting Obi-wan at the back of his legs with the flatter end.

"Agh, I am!" Obi-wan protested, adjusting his helmet and turning back around to face the prince. Anakin grinned and launched himself at him, sword at the ready.

"To the left, right – and left – head!" Anakin yelled and there was another loud, sudden blow to Obi-wan's skull. The young man winced and protested with another, "ow!"

"Come on, Obi-wan!" Anakin yelled loudly, swinging his sword around his wrist. "I've got a tournament to win!"

Obi-wan could still hear a dull, ringing sound in his ears and stumbled forwards. "Can we stop now, please?" He asked pleadingly.

Anakin didn't reply. Instead, he continued to attack Obi-wan, giving the same orders.

"Shield, body, body, shield," he called out and gave yet _another _blow to Obi-wan's head.

This time, it was enough. Obi-wan saw a great amount of bright, strange spots dance in front of his eyes. He felt himself sinking and fell to the ground, his helmet coming off in the process.

Obi-wan managed to take a couple of breaths of fresh air before seeing Anakin looming over him with a large, arrogant smirk on his face.

"You're braver than you look," the prince commented. "Most servants collapse after the first blow."

Obi-wan made a small groaning sound and lifted his head off the ground by a centimeter. "Is it over now?" He asked tiredly.

"Just a warm-up," Anakin replied with a casual shrug. He held up a small mace and swung it around his head. Obi-wan couldn't help but to inwardly groan – of course.

"How's your mace work coming along?" Anakin asked cheerfully.

Obi-wan could only sigh and groan in response.

•◊•

It was a wonder that Obi-wan was able to get to Qui-Gon's chambers without collapsing. His entire body hurt, no thanks to Anakin.

He decided that training with Anakin was his least favorite time of the day.

Qui-Gon looked up from his workbench and grinned at the younger man. "So…how was your first day as Anakin's manservant?" He asked humorously.

Obi-wan winced and rubbed his temples tiredly. "Do you hear clanging?" He asked.

Qui-Gon smiled, shaking his head. "Sit down," he said, pointing at a chair. "And take off the armor."

The younger man smiled gratefully and did as he was told. It took him several minutes to undo the armor, but soon enough, the metal was on the ground and temporarily forgotten about.

Obi-wan sat down in the chair and the physician walked over to him, still smiling. Qui-Gon firmly stretched out Obi-wan's arms as the younger man groaned, "It was horrible. And I've _still _got to learn about tournament etiquette by the morning."

Obi-wan looked across the table, where a small book of the tournament information sat. He smiled to himself and outstretched a single hand, calling on the Force to bring the book towards him. Qui-Gon promptly replied in a sharp, annoyed voice, "What have I told you about using the Force like this?"

The younger man sighed. "If I could actually feel my arms, I would pick up the book myself," he protested.

"Never mind your arms," Qui-Gon said, "what would I do if you get caught?"

Obi-wan frowned. "What _would _you do?" He asked, turning around to face the older man.

Qui-Gon paused and sighed. "Well, you just make sure it doesn't happen for both our sakes." He took Obi-wan's other arm and stretched it.

Obi-wan winced, taking hold of his own shoulder and muttered, "I save Anakin from getting killed and I end up as a servant—how is that fair?"

"Not sure if fairness comes into it. Who knows, it might be fun," Qui-Gon replied lightly.

Obi-wan snorted incredulously. "You think mucking out Anakin's horses will be _fun_?" He asked, shaking his head. "You should hear my list of duties."

"We all have duties, including Anakin," was Qui-Gon's only response.

Obi-wan sighed. "Must be tough for him," he said sarcastically. "With all the girls, the glory."

"He is the future king. People expect much from him." Qui-Gon said quietly. "He's under a lot of pressure." At that very moment, the physician chose the unfortunate time to pop Obi-wan's shoulder back into place.

Obi-wan winced. "That makes for two of us!" He muttered under his breath.

•◊•

"So, you've got voiders on the arms," Padmé said patiently, circling Obi-wan. She had agreed to teach him the proper parts of armor, seeing that Obi-wan was absolutely hopeless with these sorts of things.

"The hauberk goes over your chest," the young woman added, pointing at the large, hunk of metal that was placed over Obi-wan's chest. She walked over to a small workbench and said, "I guess you know what to do with the helmet."

Obi-wan looked at the helmet in Padmé's hands and smiled sheepishly. "That was the only bit I've figured out," he said, taking the helmet from her. He placed it over his head and sighed. "How come you're so much better at this than me?"

"I'm the blacksmith's daughter," Padmé pointed out, stretching out her hands. "I know pretty much everything there is to know about armor, which is actually kind of sad."

"No, it's brilliant," Obi-wan said earnestly with a grin.

The young woman only gave Obi-wan an embarrassed smile and looked down at the floor in response.

•◊•

"You _do _know that the tournament starts today," Anakin muttered under his breath as Obi-wan placed the voiders over the prince's arms.

Of course, Obi-wan knew that the tournament was today—it was hard to miss the signs. A long, wooden rack stood before the two with swords and spears in each and every stall. Colorful tents were placed around the perimeter of a large, open area where the tournament's participators would fight. And, of course, the noise of the crowd waiting for the action to begin was also a large tip-off.

"Yes, sire," Obi-wan managed to reply with a forced smile. He straightened himself and began to fix the straps of the hauberk on Anakin's shoulders. "You nervous?" He asked.

"I don't get nervous." Anakin muttered, his eyes staring straight ahead.

"Really? I thought everyone did," Obi-wan replied humorously.

Obviously, that was the wrong thing to say, for in the next moment, Anakin was shouting, "Will you just _shut up_?!"

Obi-wan resisted the urge to give a retort to the prince but instead turned around to grab Anakin's cloak. He fixed the clasp over Anakin's neck and handed him the helmet.

He stood back, crossing his arms. "Great. I think you're all set," he commented.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Anakin asked incredulously.

Obi-wan blinked, confused.

"My _sword_?" Anakin pointed out, shaking his head.

Obi-wan winced and felt heat creep up to his face. "Right, sorry," he muttered under his breath, turning around to the rack. He reached over and plucked out a sword, handing it over to Anakin. "Guess you'll be needing that."

Anakin took the sword and gave Obi-wan an annoyed glare before storming off to the tournament arena.

"That went well," Obi-wan muttered to no one in particular, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

* * *

**A/N: Again, Obi-wan's pretty young in this story...and I'm taking time with his character development. I mean, you can't seriously expect that he was automatically a really, really patient and wise guy ever since he was a kid, right? **

**Anakin: Actually, I always thought that - **

**Me: *facepalms* Anakin, I don't think ANYONE was like that since they were little. Except for some kids. **

**Anakin: ...good point. **

**Me: Uh-huh. Anyways, I would also like to point out that _I now have 113 followers and 119 favorites! _I have no idea if that's a big number on FanFiction dot net, but I seriously can't tell you guys how thankful I am. :') **

**Ahsoka: *sarcasm* Yaaay, now we get to hear you blubber over this stuff...**

**Me: Don't be mean - you guys are all awesome and brilliant and I just want to say thank you for sticking around even when I act really, really annoying...and I'm amazed at how you guys still read my stories even when I'm a bit crazy in the head. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :') **

**Anakin: *sighs* And, just for that, I'll do the review notice. Please review, give constructive criticism if you have any, and no flames. **

**Me: Yup! :') Thanks again, you guys! See ya'll later! **


	5. True Bravery - Part Two

**Thank you for the support, you guys! I'm sorry that this chapter took longer to upload - I've just got so many other stories to update and since finals are only two days away, I've been out of my mind with studying and stuff. Seriously. School will be the death of me. *sighs* **

_**Anyways,**_** I'll just take this time to reply to any guest reviewers/comments/future concerns - **

**Guest Reviewer Demoness - Maybe making this a slash story will be more interesting for ****_you, _****but I don't mean to make this story a slash one whatsoever. It's not that I hate on slashers/femslashers or whatever, but I've never really written slash and I don't plan on writing it. Plus, I'm more into bromance (the platonic kind) rather than slash. However, I've been told that my own bromance stories lean heavily towards slash but again, that's never intentional. I'm sorry if I offended you (or any slash supporter, for that matter,) but don't expect any ObiAni from me any time soon. **

**With that said, please enjoy this chapter! **

* * *

Chapter Two. True Bravery

_Part two of chapter two_

Obi-wan watched from behind the stands as each and every knight marched into the wide arena. A large, cheerful crowd of people were sitting in the stands, all applauding and yelling out to the participators.

Obi-wan hadn't seen so many knights gathered in one place before – their capes fluttered in the wind and they all wore solemn, serious expressions on their faces. Sitting at the very center of the stands, of course, was King Palpatine. Obi-wan caught sight of Ahsoka and Padmé sitting alongside the king. Padmé gave Obi-wan a small smile before turning to the arena.

He entered the arena, wearing the same, humorless expression on his face. "Knights of the realm," he started, clasping his hands together. "It's an honor to welcome you to Coruscant. Over the next three days, you will put your bravery to the test. And, of course, to challenge the reigning champion, my son, Prince Anakin."

The knights all turned to look at Anakin, who, for once, looked uncomfortable. Obi-wan watched as Anakin gave the other knights a subtle, quick, sideways glance before turning back to the king, who was giving further instructions.

"Only one can have the honor of being crowned champion, and he will be rewarded with a prize of one thousand gold coins." The king gestured to a medium-sized chest placed in front of his seat in the stands. A servant opened the clasp of the chest to reveal the prize.

"It is in combat that we learn a knight's true nature," Palpatine continued, "whether he is a warrior indeed…or a coward." With that being said, he lifted his hand. "The tournament begins!"

The crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause as the knights all bowed their heads in respect and left the arena. Obi-wan nimbly stepped out of the way for the knights and turned his head to look at Anakin, who was standing beside the king.

"I trust you will make me proud," Obi-wan heard the king say to the prince. Anakin nodded wordlessly.

For a second, Obi-wan felt pity for the prince—it couldn't be easy, living to those expectations. He watched as another knight entered the arena. The knight stood in front of Anakin, swinging his sword threateningly around his wrist.

In the next second, the knight dove at Anakin. The prince quickly ducked out of the way and used his shield to push the knight away. The next few moments were tense—Anakin blocked the blows in efficient, tight movements and slashed at the knight's shield.

Obi-wan sighed and leaned against one of the stands. The knight didn't have a chance.

Sure enough, the knight was shoved down to the ground and Anakin was the victor of the round. The next few matches came 'round quickly—Obi-wan watched as countless knights were quickly defeated and moved up to the next round of the tournament.

One particular knight caught Obi-wan's eye as he undid Anakin's armor—a strange, almost _blue-_skinned man was slowly dominating over the other knights. Obi-wan felt a strange chill go up his back. He frowned to himself. He wasn't _quite _sure why he felt so spooked by the knight—he looked normal enough, (or at least, as normal as a blue-skinned man could be,) but there was just _something about him…_

"Knight Cad Bane looks rather handy with a sword," Obi-wan muttered as Anakin, too, turned around to watch the knight. If Anakin heard Obi-wan, he didn't show it.

Cad Bane, named as the victor of that particular match with the other knight, threw off his helmet and advanced to the training grounds where the other knights were taking off their armor at their tents.

Obi-wan held his breath as the blue-skinned knight stopped in front of them. "May I offer my congratulations to you today," Cad Bane said coolly, gesturing to Anakin.

"Likewise." The prince replied shortly.

"Hope to see you at the reception this evening." Cad Bane continued, taking off his gloves. He gave a single nod to the prince and then walked in the other direction toward his own tent.

Obi-wan and Anakin wordlessly watched the knight. Finally, Obi-wan mumbled, "Creep."

He heard Anakin give a small, light chuckle. Surprised, he turned to Anakin. The prince managed a small smile. For a second, the two young men were silent as they came to an agreement. Obi-wan was surprised to almost feel…happy. Maybe Anakin wasn't _that _bad—

"Er, for tomorrow, you need to repair my shield, wash my tunic, clean my boots, sharpen my sword and polish my chainmail." Anakin said quickly, looking away and taking off his gloves.

Obi-wan sighed as the prince walked away. He was probably wrong—Anakin was a prat.

•◊•

Obi-wan was using the Force to help him with his chores when Qui-Gon walked into his bedroom. He quickly dropped his hand to his side, causing all of the items to fall to the ground.

"Are you using the Force again?" Qui-Gon asked indignantly.

Obi-wan quickly shook his head. "No," he lied.

"What's all this, then?" The older man asked, gesturing to the abandoned bits of armor and cloth on the ground.

Obi-wan gave a small shrug in reply.

Qui-Gon sighed and, casting another disproving look at the ground, said, "I just came to tell you that supper is ready." With that, he closed the door.

Obi-wan exhaled and looked up at the ceiling. He needed to be more careful whilst practicing the Force for these sorts of things.

He stretched out his arms and walked out of his bedroom to join the physician for supper.

•◊•

"Knight Cad Bane of the Western Isles, my lord." Cad Bane said formerly, bowing his head. The knights were all standing in a line, each one waiting to greet the king and the Lady Ahsoka, who was standing next to Palpatine.

"I saw you fighting today. Very aggressive." The king said, impressed.

"As my lord said, 'to lose is to be disgraced.'" Bane replied silkily.

"I couldn't agree more," the king nodded, shaking the knight's hand. "Knight Bane, I present the Lady Ahsoka, my ward." He gestured to the younger girl, who gave the knight a small smile.

"My lady," Bane said smoothly, bowing before Ahsoka.

"I saw you competing today." Ahsoka said, clasping her hands in front of her.

"I saw you watching." Bane replied. "I understand the champion escorts my lady to the feast."

"That's correct." Ahsoka replied, lifting an eyebrow.

"Then I will give everything to win." Bane said, and with another bow, he walked to the other side of the room where other knights were extending hands to congratulate him on his victories.

"Anakin," the king murmured in acknowledgement as the prince bowed before him.

"Father." Anakin nodded and turned to Ahsoka, who was smiling smugly at him.

"They all seem rather impressed by Knight Bane," she said lightly, looking sideways at the group of knights that had crowded around Cad Bane.

"They're not the only ones." Anakin replied, giving Ahsoka a meaningful glare.

Ahsoka feigned a sympathetic smile. "You're not jealous, are you?" She asked.

"I don't see anything to be jealous of." The prince retorted with an eye-roll. With that said, he walked to the other side of the room.

Ahsoka made a small, incredulous scoffing sound and looked sideways at her maid, who was trying hard to not smile. "Could Anakin be any more annoying?" She asked Padmé, rolling her eyes. "I _so _hope Knight Bane wins the tournament."

Padmé smiled lightly. "You don't really mean that." She said.

Ahsoka shrugged. "Yes, I do."

Padmé simply giggled and shook her head.

•◊•

Obi-wan walked into the armory the next morning. Sunlight filtered through the windows, shining down on numerous swords and shields and spears.

He was about to fetch Anakin's armor from a table in the room when he heard the sounds of…where those snakes?

Obi-wan turned around quickly and whispered, "Hello?"

He wandered around the room, looking uneasily at the door and walls. "Is there someone there?" Obi-wan asked, lifting his voice.

Another strange, hissing sound rang through the room. Obi-wan frowned and turned around quickly, only to come face-to-face with a shield. The shield was a bright, yellow color with green snakes painted over the metal.

Obi-wan took a few uneasy steps towards the shield. He examined the snakes and gasped as one of the snakes' red eye blinked. He rubbed his eyes and stared hard at the snake. Did that really happen? Were the snakes…alive?

He extended his hand towards the metal and was about to touch the snake when a sword suddenly pointed at his chest. Obi-wan quickly looked up to see Knight Bane glaring down at him.

"Can I help you with something, boy?" He asked coldly.

Obi-wan swallowed. "No," he replied. "I…I was just…um…gathering my master's armor." To prove his point, he walked over to the table and gathered Anakin's armor in his arms.

"Then, you'd best be on your way," Bane replied with bared teeth. Obi-wan felt a chill run up his spine but managed to give him a small nod.

"Of course," he said quietly and walked out of the room. Obi-wan tossed an uneasy, nervous stare at the door of the armory before heading to Anakin's chambers.

Surely, the snakes on the shield weren't alive…right?

•◊•

"You did this all on your own?" Anakin asked, staring at the armor with a confused, bewildered look on his face.

Obi-wan clasped his hands behind his back and replied, "Yes, sire."

Anakin stared at the manservant incredulously. "Well, let's see if you can get me into it without forgetting anything."

Obi-wan did as he was told—he quickly assembled the bits of armor over Anakin. Once he was finished, he took a step back and crossed his arms, impressed with his own work.

Clearly, the prince was rather surprised with the sudden progress as well. "That was much better," he said, looking over at Obi-wan. He quickly cleared his throat, and, returning to his usual swagger, added, "Not that it could have gotten any worse."

"I'm a fast learner." Obi-wan shrugged with a smile.

"I hope for your sake, that's true." Anakin smirked.

"Good luck." Obi-wan simply replied, deciding to brush off the comment.

Anakin didn't reply. He simply gave another bewildered look at the manservant and walked out of the room. Obi-wan followed after him. The two walked to the arena, where the crowds were already gathered on the stands. Obi-wan quickly stopped behind the stands and watched as Anakin walked out to the dirt ground of the arena.

He allowed himself a small smile as Anakin thrust his helmet into the air, triggering a roar of enthusiasm from the crowd.

"Is it my imagination, or are you beginning to enjoy yourself?" A familiar voice asked from behind Obi-wan.

The young man quickly turned around to face Qui-Gon, who wore a smile on his face.

Obi-wan sighed and grinned at the ground. "It…it isn't totally horrible all the time." He managed to say.

* * *

**A/N: No, this won't be a Cad Bane x Ahsoka or Anisoka, as I've said in the previous chapters. Nope. Definitely not Cadsoka - I loath that ship. -.- (No offense to any Cadsoka shippers out there - I just don't really like it.) This chapter definitely wasn't as long as the other chapters, but I'm in a hurry today and I needed to update something. **

**Ahsoka: ...you NEEDED to update something? You updated two of your stories yesterday! **

**Me: I know, but I just...*sighs* I dunno, dude - I just have this weird urge to keep writing and updating stuff. It's so annoying...it keeps me busy. **

**Ahsoka: *sighs* You can say THAT again. Seriously - I'm beginning to feel a bit scared for you. **

**Me: *smiles maniacally* I'm totally normal. I need to keep writing to keep going. If I don't, I'll go insane. **

**Anakin: SHE WAS LOOKING FOR WOODWORM OR SOMETHING THIS MORNING! **

**Me: YEAH, THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE MOST ACTIVE IN THE MORNING! **

**Ahsoka: As you can see, prolonged exposure to writing has driven her insane. **

**Me: I AM NORMAL. **

**Anakin: That's debatable. Please review, give constructive criticism if you have any, and don't flame. Bye! **


	6. True Bravery - Part Three

**Hello, everyone! I'm back with another chapter of ****_Destined for Greatness! _****Thank you for all of the support - I'm still so scared that this story will become an unpopular, chaotic mess, so seeing people reading this truly means a lot to me. :)**

* * *

Chapter Two. True Bravery

_Part three of chapter two_

The crowds were going wild. Round after round after round simply brought them into a wilder stage of shouting and cheering and betting on the next winner.

Not that Obi-wan could blame them, of course – though he wasn't exactly fond of watching people getting hurt for a _sport_, the excitement as certainly running high. Not to mention that Obi-wan could appreciate the fact that for once in his entire time with Anakin, _he _wasn't the one getting the seven bells knocked out of him.

There was a groan from the crowd as one of the knights were banged over the head by Anakin's end of the sword. Obi-wan, too, winced. Poor fellow – he would wake up with _quite _the headache later today.

As Anakin walked back out to the training grounds after his victory, Knight Bane headed into the arena. Obi-wan watched from behind the stands as he was paired up with another knight – he couldn't quite recall his name, but this knight wore robes of purple to honor the kingdom that he came from.

The round started quickly – Obi-wan watched as Knight Bane ruthlessly brought his sword down on his opponent. For the first few minutes, Obi-wan couldn't do much except pity the purple-clothed knight – he certainly didn't have much of a chance against Bane.

However, just as those thoughts formed in his mind, the purple-clothed knight immediately ran forward, his sword at the ready. The crowd all gasped in surprise and delight as Bane's opponent started to fight back in the same, merciless manner.

_I was wrong – maybe he'll win, _Obi-wan thought to himself as he watched Bane duck out of the sword's way.

Instead, Bane knocked the purple-clothed knight's helmet away and pushed him to the ground with the butt of his sword. Obi-wan cringed and looked back up to see that Bane was almost on _top _of the poor knight. It appeared that his shield was pinned on top of the opponent and Obi-wan couldn't see much of anything except the knight struggling to get free from underneath Bane's shield.

Even then, Obi-wan wasn't quite sure if that was really the knight or just the shadows from underneath the shield.

Suddenly, the knight's body went limp and Bane stood back up, ripping off his helmet and holding up his shield with triumph.

Obi-wan slowly retreated back to the training grounds, where Anakin was taking off his gloves and watching Bane warily.

"I think he's badly hurt," Obi-wan murmured, looking back at the purple-clothed knight, who was already being swept away on a cot.

Anakin was uncharacteristically quiet.

•◊•

"How is he?" Obi-wan asked, dropping Anakin's armor on the table once he reached Qui-Gon's chambers. The physician had had the knight laid out on the cot in the center of the room, covered in blankets and a cloth placed over his forehead.

"It's most odd," Qui-Gon replied, looking up. "Look at this," he pointed at an area around the knight's neck, which had two, small puncture marks on the skin. "See these two small wounds?" Qui-Gon asked. "Looks like a snake bite."

Obi-wan blinked and looked over at the older man quizzically. "How could he have been bitten by a snake? He was injured in a swordfight."

"The symptoms are consistent with the poisoning." Qui-Gon replied, sitting up. "Slow pulse, fever, paralysis," he ticked off each symptom with his fingers.

Obi-wan frowned and asked, "Can you heal him?"

Qui-Gon stood up and made his way to the table, already looking through papers. "Well, if it _is _a snake bite, I'll have to extract the venom from the snake that bit him to make an antidote." He replied quietly.

"What happens if he doesn't get the antidote?" Obi-wan asked, his heart sinking.

Qui-Gon turned back around and clasped his hands in front of himself. "There'll be nothing more I can do for him," he answered. "He'll die."

Obi-wan looked down at the knight and then, he murmured out loud, "He was fighting Knight Bane."

"What was that?" Qui-Gon asked, sitting down next to the knight.

"Nothing." Obi-wan replied quickly. He already had a plan forming in his mind. He made his way out of Qui-Gon's chambers and walked around the castle until he found himself in the corridor where all of the knights were sleeping.

Hearing the sounds of footsteps, Obi-wan ducked behind a pillar and stuck his head out to see who was walking around the hall. The familiar, tall frame of none other than Cad Bane walked into his chambers and closed the door firmly behind him.

Obi-wan paused and walked to the door. He stopped by it and carefully pushed it open without a sound. Obi-wan slowly looked into the large room and ducked behind the door again once he saw Bane. Every single part of his body and brain was telling him to _get out of there_, but he didn't move.

Obi-wan let out a small, soft sigh and turned back to the room. Thankfully, Bane had turned around so he wouldn't see Obi-wan. Instead, Bane was going through a small box at a table, which was placed next to his shield. Immediately, the sounds of squeaking filled the chambers.

"Dinnertime," Bane said softly, holding up a mouse. Obi-wan ducked behind the door again as Bane turned around. Obi-wan knelt down besides the keyhole and watched with wide eyes as Bane seated himself next to his shield. The knight chuckled quietly to himself as the snakes in the shield slowly separated themselves from the metal.

Obi-wan felt his breath getting caught in his throat as Bane dropped the mouse into one of the snakes' mouths.

He had seen enough. Obi-wan backed away from the door and darted out of the hallway. Within seconds, he was in front of Qui-Gon's chambers. Obi-wan ran inside and said, "I've just seen one of the snakes on Bane's shield come to life. He _must _be using the Force."

Qui-Gon looked up sharply. "Are you sure?" He asked.

Obi-wan took in a shaky breath and answered, "The…the snake ate a mouse – one swallow, straight down. The knight," Obi-wan gestured to the man on the bed, "was fighting Bane when he collapsed. It must have been one of the snakes from the shield. I have to tell Anakin."

Qui-Gon stood up. "Is there any chance you might be mistaken?" He asked.

Obi-wan threw up his hands. "I know the Force when I see it," he replied.

"Perhaps, but do you have any proof?"

Obi-wan frowned. "Don't you believe me?"

"I fear you'll land yourself in trouble," Qui-Gon replied sternly. "How would you explain being in Bane's chambers?"

"What does that matter? He's using the Force to cheat!" Obi-wan replied indignantly.

The physician shook his head. "You can't accuse a knight without proof – King Palpatine wouldn't accept the word of a servant over the word of a knight."

Obi-wan placed his hands on the table. "So, what I say doesn't count?" He asked.

"It counts for very little as long as far as the King is concerned." Qui-Gon replied. "That's the way it is."

•◊•

The next morning was alive with activity. The crowds were still waiting for the next match to begin. Obi-wan glanced uneasily at the score board – there were only a few more matches until the champions would come to a final round, and according to the board, Anakin and Bane were taking up the lead.

Obi-wan looked up at the board anxiously. "Do you have to fight against Bane soon?" He asked lightly as he fixed Anakin's armor.

Anakin stared at Obi-wan as though he had something ridiculous, which, he might as well have. "Of course," the prince replied incredulously.

"Are you sure?" Obi-wan continued casually. "What if you just…withdrew from the competition altogether?"

"_Why _would I do _that_?" Anakin asked. He took his sword and rolled his eyes at the manservant. "Sometimes, Obi-wan, I wonder if you're getting these sorts of questions from a child, or if you really _were _born stupid."

"I'll choose not to answer that." Obi-wan muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Hm? Nothing – good luck." Obi-wan replied, forcing a smile. The prince gave Obi-wan another strange, dubious look before heading out to the arena to fight one of the remaining knights.

"How are you getting along?"

Obi-wan turned around to look at Qui-Gon and forced yet another smile. "Fine." He replied and looked down at the ground. "Just doing my job." He gave the physician a pointed glare and continued, "Minding my own business."

With that, he walked out of the training grounds and stood behind the stands to watch Anakin. The match ended quickly with Anakin as the victor. Obi-wan watched warily as Bane walked out to the arena to fight his own opponent.

Like Anakin, it didn't take too long for Bane to finish off the poor knight.

Obi-wan turned to look up at the score board. His heart dropped as a servant drew up Anakin and Bane's tokens on the score board.

Obi-wan bowed his head and turned around to face Qui-Gon, who was standing only a few feet away from him. He gave the physician a grim stare and murmured, "Bane is going to fight Anakin in the final. He'll use the shield to kill him."

•◊•

Obi-wan was staring out the window when Qui-Gon walked into his bedroom. He didn't give any signs of acknowledgement. He heard the older man sigh and say, "Obi-wan, Palpatine wouldn't listen to you or me."

There was a small pause.

"But you are right."

Obi-wan turned around to look at the physician. Qui-Gon stared down at the younger man and continued, "We can't let Bane get away with this."

"You said it yourself – we don't have any proof." Obi-wan replied, sitting up.

Qui-Gon sighed. "If we could cure the knight, he could tell the King that Bane was using the Force to win the match. Palpatine would believe another knight. But how we get the antidote," he sighed again, "that's a different matter."

Obi-wan rubbed his temples tiredly and lowered his head to his hands. He _could _get one of the snakes from Bane's shield…but how? Obi-wan was fairly sure that the snakes wouldn't respond to anyone unless it was the master.

_Anakin's life is in danger, _a small voice chided in the back of Obi-wan's head. _You should at least try! _

_Since when did you care about the prat so much? _Obi-wan thought back indignantly.

_It's your destiny. _The voice chided back and the young man let out a soft groan in response. He _really _hated the prat.

However, Obi-wan wordlessly stood up and walked out of Qui-Gon's chambers – he would just have to get to Bane's chambers and hope that he wasn't there.

•◊•

Luckily, Knight Bane _wasn't _in his chambers. He was, however, eating dinner with the rest of the knights around King Palpatine's table.

"So, Knight Bane, do you think you have a good chance of defeating my son?" The King asked curiously, turning to Bane.

Cad Bane flicked a glance at Anakin, who looked less-than-pleased with this concept. The knight simply smiled and replied, "He is a great warrior, my lord. I _do _hope to be a worthy opponent."

The King didn't seem very pleased with the answer. Of course he wouldn't – Bane hadn't given him a proper answer. Instead, Palpatine went on to say, "You should stay in Coruscant after the tournament. I could do with more knights like you."

Anakin turned to his father sharply but did not say anything.

Bane smiled to himself as he drank from his goblet. He could practically _feel _the hatred radiating off of the prince. Oh, envy was a very, very, _very _sweet feeling. Bane shot Anakin another small smile, but the prince didn't smile back. Instead, Anakin turned away pointedly.

"I'd be honored, my lord." He replied silkily.

•◊•

Obi-wan was relieved to find that Bane was not in his chambers. He slowly closed the door behind himself and turned back around. Immediately, his eyes landed on the painted shield, which was sitting on top of a chair. The table beside it was scattered with swords and sharp weapons, no doubt laid out there for practice.

_Almost like an important guest, _Obi-wan thought bitterly to himself as he slowly walked towards it. He took up one of the swords from the table and nudged the shield with it.

The snakes from the shield did not move.

Obi-wan kneeled down before it and stared fixedly at the snakes. "Come on," he murmured. "I know you're going to come out…"

Suddenly, there was a loud _thud _from outside. Obi-wan froze and quickly stood up. He turned to face the door and paused, straining to hear for any other signs that someone might be outside.

The thudding sounds continued and then it dawned to Obi-wan – someone was coming.

However, before Obi-wan could put down the sword, a strange, hissing noise filled the room. The young man's heartbeat raced with fear and anxiousness. Obi-wan tightened his grip on the sword and closed his eyes. The hissing noise grew louder.

Obi-wan turned around and blindly flung his sword down on an object. Obi-wan reopened his eyes to see one of the snakes' heads sprawled on the ground. With a small sigh, he quickly picked it up and threw the sword down on the table just as the other snakes from the shield started to come to life.

Obi-wan threw open the door and sprinted out. He passed Knight Bane walking out of the dining hall but did not dare look at him.

Obi-wan did not see the suspicious stare that Bane gave him as he ran away.

* * *

**A/N: Because we all know that Bane would probably end up doing something like this to get money. Anyways, for any of you guys who might be wondering how the heck you could use the Force to pop out of a shield, well...I think some powerful Force users are able to persuade any living thing to do whatever the Force user wants. Of course, the shield would have been made using some kind of witchcraft, and we all know that witchcraft exists in the Star Wars universe. (Just look at the Night Sisters!) **

**Ahsoka: Are you done yet? **

**Me: Yes, I'm done. I just wanted to give the readers some information. **

**Anakin: Huh. **

**Me: Yes, _huh. _  
**

**Anakin: You spend all your time looking up this kind of stuff but you _still _refuse to talk about the solar system. _  
_**

**Me: It's not important. So, we go around the sun, or go around the moon, or 'round and 'round the garden like a _teddy bear, _it wouldn't make a difference! The only thing that matters is the _work,_ don't you see? (If any of you guys got that reference, here's a cookie : (::))**

**Ahsoka: ...but it's the _solar system! _**

**Me: UUUGH! **

**Anakin: Besides, wrong fandom. Please review, give constructive criticism if you have any, and please don't flame!**

**Me: Er...what he said. Bye, everyone!**


	7. True Bravery - Part Four

**Hello, everyone! I'm back with another chapter - thank you so much for the support!**

* * *

Chapter Two. True Bravery

_Part four of chapter two_

"I'll get started on preparing the antidote." Qui-Gon said once he extracted the venom from the snake's teeth in a jar. He walked over to his workbench and placed the venom down on the table.

"I'm going to tell Anakin." Obi-wan said, standing up and making his way to the door.

"You'll need this!" Qui-Gon called after him, handing the snake head over. Obi-wan nodded gratefully and was stopped again before he could run out the door.

"Obi-wan, what you did was very brave." Qui-Gon said quietly, a small smile twitching at his lips. Before Obi-wan could respond, the older man turned around to the workbench, already starting on the antidote. Obi-wan smiled and sprinted out the door.

•◊•

"_You? You _chopped its head off?" Anakin asked incredulously when Obi-wan placed the snake's head down on the table.

Obi-wan decided to brush off the comment and simply replied, "The knight was bitten by a snake from the shield when he was fighting. You can see the wounds in his neck where the snake bit him. The knight was winning – Cad Bane _had _to cheat!"

Anakin frowned and shook his head. "Cad Bane wouldn't _dare _use magic in Coruscant," he said slowly.

"The knight was pinned under the shield – no one could have seen the snake bite him." Obi-wan countered earnestly.

Anakin stood up and replied, "I don't like Cad Bane, Obi-wan, but that doesn't mean he's cheating."

"Gaius is preparing an antidote to the snake venom as we speak." Obi-wan said quickly. "When the knight is conscious, he'll tell you!"

Anakin slowly looked back at Obi-wan, his arms crossed over his chest. He still wore the same, skeptical expression on his face. Obi-wan felt annoyance twinge at his heart and forced himself to shrug it off – but _God_, does Anakin think he's lying? Was that it?

"If you fight him, he'll use the shield against you." Obi-wan added in a hard, stern voice. He grabbed the snake's head and thrust it at Anakin. "Look at it! Have you seen _any _snakes like these in Coruscant?"

Anakin slowly took the head and looked down at its fangs doubtfully. Obi-wan swallowed and closed his eyes, saying, "I know I'm just a servant and my word doesn't count for anything."

The prince looked up at Obi-wan wordlessly, but he didn't notice. "_I wouldn't lie to you._" Obi-wan said quietly, reopening his eyes.

Anakin bit down on his lip and placed the snake's head back on the table. "I want you to swear to me that what you're telling me is true." He said. Obi-wan gave a small nod and replied softly, "I swear it's true."

Anakin nodded slowly and murmured, "Then, I believe you."

Obi-wan bit back a smile as Anakin looked back down at the snake's head, triumph erupting in his chest. Maybe Anakin wasn't a lost cause, after all.

However, unknown to the two youths in the room, Cad Bane was sitting outside the window. He had heard everything they had said.

•◊•

"Welcome back," Qui-Gon said with a smile as the knight slowly regained consciousness once downing the antidote.

The knight's eyes fluttered open and he mumbled, "There was a snake in the shield…it came alive."

Qui-Gon simply nodded in reply and placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "You're weak. The snake's venom is still in your system."

"I must warn the prince." The knight protested, already sitting up but Qui-Gon gently pushed him back into the cot. "Prince Anakin already knows," he said softly. "He's requested an audience with the King. They'll want to talk to you. Rest – you'll need your strength."

The physician stood up, watching the knight's eyes already close. "I'm going to collect more herbs – I'll be right back." He said and walked out of the chambers, gently closing the door after him.

The minute Qui-Gon was out of the room, a familiar, green snake slid down from the ceiling. Its cold eyes locked onto the knight's figure on the cot and slowly slid underneath the blankets, making its presence unknown to its victim.

The knight's eyes opened – he had felt something rub against his leg. His blood ran cold as the snake popped its head out from underneath the blankets. The knight didn't have enough time to cry out, and even if he did, no one was there to come help him.

The snake lunged, only this time, he didn't spare the knight's life.

When Qui-Gon returned, he was stirring the rest of the antidote with the herbs he had collected. "I'm afraid this potion tastes like toad water, but it'll get you back on your feet." He looked up and his face dropped. The knight was slumped over the cot, his skin pale and his chest still.

Qui-Gon immediately hurried over to the knight and placed his fingers over the knight's neck, dread pooling in the bottom of his stomach.

Qui-Gon did not feel any pulse or movement underneath his fingers.

The physician slowly removed his hand and rubbed his brow tiredly. He feared that Anakin and Obi-wan's audience with the King would not be as successful as they had hoped.

•◊•

"Why have you summoned the court?" King Palpatine asked, sweeping into the throne room with a firm, annoyed expression already set in his face. The throne room was filled with everyone in the royal court – even the servants. Ahsoka was standing across from Anakin and Padmé was standing dutifully next to her mistress. Knight Bane was present as well, only he wore an unpleasant, yet casual smile, as though he knew what was yet to come. Every single head turned to Anakin, who was standing next to Obi-wan. Obi-wan held the snake's head in his hands, nervously turning it over and over again in his hands.

The prince cleared his throat and separated from Obi-wan and made his way to the center of the room before his father.

"I believe Knight Bane is using a shield with the usage of the Force to cheat in the tournament." Anakin said clearly. Murmurs automatically broke out throughout the room and King Palpatine turned violently to Cad Bane, who took a step forward.

"What do you have to say to this?" Palpatine asked sharply.

"Ridiculous, my lord." Cad Bane replied coolly. "I've never used the Force." He cast Anakin a rather haughty look and asked, "Does your son have any evidence to support his claim?"

"Do you have evidence?" King Palpatine asked, looking over at the prince.

Anakin nodded. "I do." He replied steadily and turned around to Obi-wan, motioning him to step forward. The manservant hurried forward and placed the snake's head into King Palpatine's hands.

The King inspected the snake's sharp teeth and turned around at Cad Bane. "Let me see this shield." He said calmly. The knight didn't disobey Palpatine's orders. He brought forth his shield.

"Don't let him get too close…" Obi-wan murmured in Anakin's ear and the prince gave a small, subtle nod.

"Be careful, my lord." Anakin said, unsheathing his sword. Palpatine looked up at Anakin, who simply stared back. His eyes flicked over at Bane's, who simply gave him an odd, twisted smirk. The King did not notice this exchange – he placed a hand and ran it over the smooth shield.

Just at that moment, a familiar voice hissed, "Obi-wan."

Both Anakin and Obi-wan turned around to see Qui-Gon walking into the room. Obi-wan frowned and turned back around to Anakin, who then whispered, "We'll need the knight – see what's going on."

Obi-wan nodded and made his way to the physician.

"As you can see, this is just an ordinary shield." Cad Bane was saying easily as the King continued his inspection. Everyone slowly turned back to Anakin, who lifted his hands incredulously. "He's not going to let everyone see it come alive." He protested.

"How do I know what you say is true?" King Palpatine asked, looking up at his son.

shield. Its venom made him grievously ill. However, he has received an antidote. He will confirm that Knight Cad Bane is using the Force."

King Palpatine looked over at Cad Bane and asked, "Where is this witness?"

Anakin cleared his throat and turned around to look at Obi-wan, who was still talking with Qui-Gon. However, Obi-wan looked less-than-excited or happy. The young man was shaking his head tiredly, looking crestfallen. Anakin felt his stomach give a strange lurch and turned back to his father slowly. "He…should be here."

Feeling everyone's eyes focused on him, Anakin quickly walked over to Obi-wan and asked, "Where's the knight?"

Obi-wan looked up and murmured quietly, "He's…he's dead." The manservant watched as Anakin's face dropped. At that very moment, Obi-wan would have done _anything _to erase Anakin's disappointed, shocked expression from his face. He would have rather had Anakin shout at him in public, but the prince didn't do anything.

The most awful part was that Obi-wan _knew _what was going to happen to Anakin – the prince had just _humiliated _himself in front of the entire court and now Anakin was going to think it was Obi-wan's fault. All of this would be for nothing.

"I'm waiting!" King Palpatine bellowed from the throne.

Anakin slowly turned around, his eyes wide but other than that, he didn't show any other signs of shock in front of the court. He swallowed and slowly made his way back to the center of the room, limply pushing his sword back into its sheath. "I'm afraid the witness is dead." Anakin murmured.

"So, you have no proof to support these allegations?" King Palpatine asked, taking a few steps towards the prince. "Have you _seen _Knight Bane use the Force?"

Anakin swallowed again. "No," he said quietly and turned around to look at Obi-wan, who was staring at the prince with a stricken expression on his face. "But my servant –"

"Your _servant?_" The King asked incredulously. "You made these outrageous accusations against a knight based on the word of your servant?"

Anakin cast his eyes down at the ground and replied, "I believe he's telling the truth."

Cad Bane let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Am I _really _to be judged on hearsay from a boy?" He asked.

"I've seen those snakes come alive!" Obi-wan said, walking up to Anakin.

"How _dare _you interrupt!" The King shouted at the younger man. "Guards, take this boy away."

Anakin opened his mouth to protest but before the guards could take Obi-wan away, Cad Bane murmured, "My lord…"

"Wait." Palpatine said, lifting a hand and turning to Bane, waiting for what he had to say.

Anakin and Obi-wan both turned around to look at the knight, who gave them both a mere smile. "I'm sure the boy was mistaken." He said softly. "I wouldn't want him to be punished on my account."

"You see? This is how a true knight behaves – with gallantry and honor." The King said, shooting a glare at Anakin, who was staring at Bane venomously.

"My lord, if your son made these accusations because he is afraid to fight me, then I will graciously accept his withdrawal." Cad Bane continued, keeping his eyes fixed on Obi-wan and Anakin.

Palpatine turned to Anakin, stricken. "Is this true? Do you wish to withdrawal from the tournament?"

Anakin glared at Knight Bane defiantly and replied, "_No_."

"Then, what am I to make of these allegations?" Palpatine asked coldly.

Anakin looked around the room – all eyes were locked on him. He cleared his throat and looked down at his feet. "Clearly, there has been a misunderstanding. I withdraw the allegation against Knight Bane." He swallowed and looked back up at the knight. "Please accept my…apology."

"Accepted." Knight Bane replied shortly.

Anakin gave a small, curt nod and looked around the room once more. His face was slowly heating up and wordlessly rushed out of the room. Obi-wan pushed himself away from the guards and casting one, last look at Knight Bane, ran after the prince.

* * *

**A/N: Just one more part to this arc, you guys! XD I'm sorry for dragging this arc out. *winces* But it'll be over soon. **

**Anakin: Ugh...getting humiliated by BANE. Not nice. **

**Me: I'm sorry, man. But we have to make sacrifices. XD **

**Anakin: Bleah. Review, give constructive criticism if you have any, and no flames! **

**Me: Geez, what's with the quick review notice? **

**Ahsoka: He's embarrassed. He doesn't want to face the readers after being embarrassed in front of the court. XD**

**Me: Oh...lolz. See ya'll later! :)**


	8. True Bravery - Part Five

**Hellooooo, everyone! I'm back with another chapter! As always, thank you for the support! This is the last part of the ****_True Bravery _****arc, thank goodness. XD **

**Oh, and if anyone is still curious about the show ****_Merlin_****, just look up "Merlin 1x01 part 1 of 15" on Youtube - someone named GodzillaClips1 uploaded every single episode of ****_Merlin_****. Of course, each episode is split into 15 parts, but it's awesome. :) **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter Two. True Bravery

_Part five of chapter two_

"I believed you; I trusted you…and you made me look like a complete fool." Anakin said in a disbelieved tone, his back to Obi-wan. Though Obi-wan couldn't see his face, the manservant had the odd feeling that Anakin was beyond embarrassed and annoyed. Obi-wan felt a stab of guilt – how was _he _supposed to know that the snake was going to kill the knight? And Anakin had been ridiculed because of it…

"I know it didn't go exactly to plan…" Obi-wan tried, but his voice quickly drowned in his throat as Anakin whirled around to look at him. Anakin stood up violently, a glint of fury in his eyes. "Didn't _go to plan?!_" He shouted. "My _father_ and the entire royal court think I'm a coward! You humiliated me!"

Obi-wan stared at Anakin with wide eyes, but he said steadily, "We can still expose Bane."

Anakin turned around and crossed his arms. "I no longer require your services." He said coolly. Obi-wan blinked. "You're _sacking _me?" He asked incredulously.

"I need a servant I can trust." Anakin replied, his voice unusually tired and weary, though Obi-wan temporarily pushed that observation away. "You _can _trust me!" Obi-wan said earnestly, stepping forward.

"And look where it got me this time – get out of my sight!" Anakin shouted furiously.

That did it – Obi-wan threw Anakin a glare over his shoulder and hurried out of the prince's chambers. His mind was still reeling when he walked out into the square. He paused and looked up, swiveling his head at Anakin's window. He could still see the prince, though Anakin couldn't see him. Anakin was sitting on a table, his hands over his face. If Obi-wan wasn't so annoyed at Anakin, he would have felt pity.

Obi-wan rubbed his temples. He needed to talk to the Force Wielder.

•◊•

When Obi-wan reached the Force Wielder's room, it was empty. He groaned out loud and held up the torch to survey the large, spacious room. "Where are you?" He called indignantly.

No one replied.

"I just came to tell you…whatever you think my destiny is, whatever it is you think I'm supposed to do, you've got the wrong person!" Obi-wan shouted into the darkness, holding out his arms. He lowered them slowly and looked around the room once more. No one showed up. He swallowed and slowly walked back to the door. "That's it." He said quietly. "Goodbye."

"If only it was so easy to escape one's destiny." A grave, familiar voice spoke from behind Obi-wan. The young man whirled around to see the Force Wielder sitting in the center of the room, his face expressionless. Obi-wan sighed. _Of course, the Force Wielder chose to show up _now_. _

Still, Obi-wan asked, "How can it be my destiny to protect someone who hates me?"

The Force Wielder chuckled, shaking his head. "A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole." He said calmly. "Very soon, you shall learn that."

"Oh, _wonderful _– _just _what I needed. Another riddle." Obi-wan said tiredly, rubbing his brow.

"That your and Arthur's path lies together is but the truth." Was the Force Wielder's only response.

Obi-wan leaned against the wall. "What is _that _supposed to mean?" He asked incredulously.

"You know, young Jedi, this is not the end." The Force Wielder went on, remaining as unhelpful as ever.

"I'm a _what_?" Obi-wan asked, frowning.

The Force Wielder gave Obi-wan an amused smile. "A Jedi – someone who practices the Force. Although, I suppose, you'd still be considered to be a beginner. But, this is not the point for now." He replied simply. He continued, "This is not the end – this is the very beginning." With that, the Force Wielder transformed into a bird-like creature and without looking back at Obi-wan, flew up towards the dark, cavernous parts of the ceiling.

"Just give me a straight answer!" Obi-wan shouted, but (naturally) there was no answer.

•◊•

Obi-wan was sitting on the steps in front of the square when Padmé walked towards him. At first, he didn't notice her until she said, "Hello, Obi-wan." He looked up quickly. She gave him a sad smile and asked, "Are you alright?" Obi-wan didn't answer. Instead, he scooted down the steps as Padmé sat down next to him. She turned to look at Obi-wan and asked quietly, "Is it true, about Bane using the Force?"

Obi-wan nodded slowly, staring down at his shoes. Padmé's eyes widened and she murmured, "What are you going to do?" Obi-wan sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Why does everyone think it's up to me?" He asked tiredly. Padmé stared. "Because it _is_." She said. "Isn't it? You have to show everyone you were right and they were wrong."

Obi-wan pressed his lips together, forming a dry smile. "And how do I do that?" He asked, turning to Padmé. The maidservant's shoulders slumped. "I…don't know." She replied softly. Obi-wan simply nodded and turned away. He stared halfheartedly at the square until he caught sight of a small statue of a dog.

He smiled and whispered, "That's it." A small plan was beginning to form in his mind – what if he was able to make the snakes come back to life in front of everyone? Knight Bane would definitely pay the price. But of course, Obi-wan had to practice – he could start by making the dog come to life from the statue!

If the plan was going to work, Obi-wan had no time to waste. He quickly stood up and walked over to the dog. "Where are you going?" Padmé called after him, standing up. Obi-wan crouched down on his knees and took a hold of the dog – it was _much _heavier than Obi-wan had anticipated. He looked up at Padmé, who was now standing before him with a quizzical expression on her face. He smiled and asked, "Do you have a wheelbarrow?"

•◊•

"What are you doing with that?" Qui-Gon asked incredulously when Obi-wan walked into the physician's chambers, pushing a wheelbarrow with the dog statue perched on it. The younger man tossed a glance over his shoulder and replied with a wide smile, "Letting everyone see the snakes for themselves." He slowly dragged the wheelbarrow into his bedroom and once doing so, Obi-wan yanked out the book that Qui-Gon had given him from underneath his bed.

He started to flip through the pages, looking frantically for the proper usage of the Force to perhaps awaken the dog in the statue. Obi-wan sat down on his bed, cross-legged and looked up at the dog. He closed his eyes and extended his arm. "You _will _awaken…" Obi-wan murmured. When he reopened his eyes, the dog had remained as still as ever.

Obi-wan sighed and rubbed his brow. He would just need some practice.

And practice, Obi-wan did – for the rest of the evening, Obi-wan didn't do much of anything except try to coax the dog to come to life.

•◊•

_The crowd was roaring as Anakin and Bane battled. The sounds of metal clanging and swords flinging through the air accompanied the crowd's cheers. Suddenly, there was a loud _thunk _of a sword finding its mark. The crowd suddenly went silent. One of the fighters had died. _

_King Palpatine's face went pale and Ahsoka pressed her hands to her mouth, eyes wide with shock. _

Ahsoka woke up with a start and sat up quickly in her bed. The candles were still lit around her room and it was dark outside, though Ahsoka did not try to back to sleep. _A nightmare – that was all, _she thought to herself, though she was uneasy. Nightmares have been plaguing her ever since she was a child and she had realized that as she grew older, they only became more vivid.

Metallic clanging from outside of Ahsoka's window caught the young woman's attention. Ahsoka frowned and slipped off her bed. She walked towards her window and looked down to see that none other than Anakin Skywalker was training outside in the square. As always, there was a fixated, sharp look in his eyes as he practiced with his sword. Ahsoka leaned against the wall, watching Anakin quietly.

From here, Anakin couldn't see the Ahsoka, which she was rather grateful for. Not that she was attracted to Anakin – not really. She had known him ever since she was a young girl, after all. After her father died, she was sent to Coruscant as King Palpatine's ward. Apparently, her father had been a friend of the king's, and Ahsoka was to remain in Coruscant.

Ahsoka still remembered Anakin when he was a child – such a sweet boy. Then, of course, he took on sword-fighting lessons from his father and he became all cocky and arrogant. Ahsoka, too, quickly caught onto the art of swordsmanship, and she remembered how the two children would spend countless days challenging each other on a duel. (Ahsoka liked to believe that she won many duels – it was true, for the most part, though Anakin was a rather skilled warrior. He wasn't dubbed as the best knight of Coruscant for nothing.)

But now, Ahsoka was worried. Who fell in Ahsoka's dream? Was it Anakin? Would he die? What would happen to him?

Ahsoka could tell that it was going to be another restless night for her.

•◊•

Obi-wan slowly walked into Anakin's chambers. The prince's armor was in pieces on the table, telling Obi-wan that he had recently been training. Anakin was standing before the fireplace, staring into the flames with a blank, lifeless look in his eyes. When hearing Obi-wan walk into the room, Anakin looked up. Once realizing that it was only Obi-wan, Anakin stared back at the fireplace.

"I thought I told you to get out of my sight." He said in a low voice. Obi-wan didn't acknowledge Anakin's comment. "Don't fight Bane in the final tomorrow." Obi-wan said quietly. Anakin sighed, signaling Obi-wan that he was in no mood to carry a conversation, but Obi-wan plowed on. "He'll use the shield against you."

"I know." Anakin replied sullenly, still not looking up to meet Obi-wan's eyes, though Obi-wan doubted that it was out of modesty. "Then, withdraw." Obi-wan replied. "You _have _to withdraw."

Anakin turned to face Obi-wan, though there wasn't any anger in his eyes. "Don't you understand?" He asked wearily. "I can't withdraw. I'm expected to fight. How can I lead men into battle if they think I'm a coward?"

"Bane will kill you if you fight!" Obi-wan replied incredulously.

"Then, I die." Anakin replied, staring into the fire.

Obi-wan stared, wide-eyed. He was beginning to question the sanity of the royal family now. "How can you go out there and fight like that?" He asked quietly.

"Because I have to." Anakin said halfheartedly. "It's my duty."

Obi-wan felt his heart plummet. He took a deep, shaky breath and walked out silently. He needed to bring the snakes alive _somehow_, even if Anakin hated him.

•◊•

One of the servants was fixing Anakin's armor when Ahsoka walked into the room. She looked up at the servant and gave him a small nod, dismissing him from the room. The servant bowed his head and quickly hurried out of Anakin's chambers. Ahsoka walked forward and wordlessly placed her hands on Anakin's back. He turned around, eyebrows lifted in question.

"Let me." Ahsoka said simply and started to fix the rest of Anakin's armor. She slowly walked in front of him, adjusting the voiders. At Anakin's still questioning stare, Ahsoka said, "I used to help my father with his armor." She walked over to the table and picked up the helmet. Ahsoka handed it over to Anakin. There was a small, awkward silence between the two.

"Thanks." Anakin said quietly, looking more subdued than usual. Without another word, he started to walk out of the room. However, just as he reached the door, Ahsoka called, "Anakin?"

When Anakin turned around, Ahsoka forced a smile. "Be careful." She said, clasping her hands in front of herself. Anakin returned the smile, although his, like Ahsoka's, looked a bit forced. If anything, it looked a bit sad. "I'll see you at the feast." He said.

Ahsoka gave him a small nod and with that, Anakin was gone.

•◊•

Obi-wan was half-asleep when he murmured, "You _will _awaken…" He almost had no hope left within him. He hadn't slept at all, only to practice and re-cite the same words over and over and over again to wake the blasted dog. Obi-wan's head dropped to his chest, but the sound of growling and barking forced him to open his eyes.

Obi-wan looked up to see a black and brown dog that stared at him inquisitively from the corner. A large smile spread across his face and he let out an incredulous, surprised laugh. "I did it!" He said excitedly, standing up. The dog barked again, running at Obi-wan. His smile slid from his face and he quickly ran out of his bedroom, closing the door on the dog.

With that, he rushed down the steps from his bedroom. Qui-Gon's door opened and he hurried into the room. "Anakin is fighting Bane!" The older man said. Obi-wan nodded. "I know – I'm on my way!" He replied over his shoulder. He paused at the door and added, "Oh, and don't go into my room – I'll deal with it later."

With that, Obi-wan ducked out of the physician's chambers. Qui-Gon turned to Obi-wan's door and frowned. He slowly walked towards it and opened the door slowly, only to find a dog growling at him. Qui-Gon quickly closed the door. He sincerely hoped Obi-wan knew what he was doing.

•◊•

Obi-wan could hear the sounds of Anakin and Bane's swords clanging against each other even before he reached the stands. The crowd was all on their feet, roaring in excitement. He spotted King Palpatine at the very center of the stands, watching Anakin and Bane with the same, tense expression that everyone else wore. Lady Ahsoka was watching the two men with an uneasy look, whereas Padmé kept flinching each time the swords met each other.

If there was any time to expose Cad Bane, it was now. However, just as Obi-wan opened his mouth to speak, there was another loud gasp from the crowd. Obi-wan looked up to see that Anakin was on the ground, Bane holding up his sword to pin the prince to the ground. There was a loud cry from the stands – Obi-wan turned to see that Ahsoka was gripping the stands with wide eyes.

Just as Bane was about to bring the sword down, Anakin kicked himself out of the way, though he didn't have a sword to defend himself. Apparently, Bane had pushed it away just as Anakin was trying to grab a hold of it. Tensions were running higher.

_You need to do this now! _Obi-wan thought frantically to himself and extended his hand. "You _will _awaken!" He hissed, staring hard at the painted snakes on Bane's shield.

Suddenly, the green snakes popped out of Bane's shield, snapping their jaws furiously at Anakin. Strangled cries and loud gasps filled the entire arena. "What are you doing?" Bane hissed, looking down at the snakes. "I didn't summon you!"

"He _is _using the Force!" King Palpatine shouted furiously, standing up. Anakin slowly backed away, glaring at Bane and the snakes. "Now they see you for whom you truly are." He said coolly. Instead of surrendering, however, Cad Bane let out a sinister, cold laugh and looked down. The snakes popped out of the shield, advancing on Anakin. "Kill him!" Bane shouted.

Anakin quickly backed into the stands, eyes wide. Obi-wan felt himself walk forward, though he quickly stopped to see Ahsoka whip out a sword from one of the guards' sheaths. "Anakin!" She shouted and threw the sword at him. Anakin caught it one-handedly and whirled around just in time to cut off the snakes' heads. With that, the prince ran at Bane, sword at the ready.

The next few moments went on in a blur – Obi-wan watched with wide eyes as Anakin skillfully handled the sword, causing Bane to back away in fear. Obi-wan had taken away Bane's surprise weapon, leaving him exposed, after all. Then, in one, fluid movement, Anakin plunged his sword into the knight's stomach.

There was a loud cry from the stands, though it wasn't out of fright. Instead, each and every spectator had started to shout in glee – Anakin had just conquered Bane. Obi-wan let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the stands. _Thank the Force, _he thought weakly to himself as Anakin slowly walked out of the arena.

Anakin and Obi-wan locked eyes for a minute and then the prince halfheartedly punched Obi-wan on the shoulder before advancing to the training grounds.

•◊•

The dining hall was crowded with servants and citizens of Coruscant. Candles lit the entire room, creating a cheerful and happy atmosphere. King Palpatine, himself, was smiling proudly. He turned and said, "My honorable guests, I give you Prince Anakin, your champion."

With that said, the entire hall exploded in whoops and whistles and hollers of appreciation as Anakin walked into the large room. He gave a bow to the citizens and walked to Ahsoka, who was wearing a small smile. "My lady," he greeted, extending an arm. Ahsoka gave a small curtsey and took it. "My champion," she replied cheerfully.

"See, I told he gets the girls and the glory." Obi-wan was saying out of the corner of his mouth, watching Anakin and Ahsoka walk down the hall to Qui-Gon. As a servant, he was forced to attend the feast. He didn't mind, though – he was simply glad that he had fulfilled a part of his destiny.

"And he owes it all to you." Qui-Gon replied quietly, though he, too, wore a smile.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka and Anakin were sharing their own small, private conversation. "Has your father apologized for not believing you?" Ahsoka asked in a low voice. Anakin gave the younger woman a small smirk. "He'll never apologize." He replied. "I hope you're not too disappointed that Bane isn't escorting you?"

Ahsoka and Anakin came to a slow stop and she turned to smile at him. "Turns out he wasn't champion material." She replied loftily. Anakin smiled and said, "Though, that was some champion final." Ahsoka nodded in agreement, looking down at the ground. "It's not every day a girl gets to save her prince." She replied brightly.

Anakin blinked and stared at Ahsoka quizzically. "Um, I wouldn't say I needed _saving_." He said in a patronized tone. "I would have thought of something." Ahsoka's smile slowly faded and it was quickly replaced by a glare. "You're too proud to admit you were saved by a girl!" She accused indignantly.

"Well, because I _wasn't_." Anakin replied pointedly. Ahsoka placed her hands on her hips and scowled at the prince. "You know what? I wish Bane _was _escorting me!" She said haughtily.

"Me, too!" Anakin retorted, annoyed. "Then, I wouldn't have to listen to you!"

"Fine!" Ahsoka snapped.

"Fine!" Was Anakin's reply.

The two quickly separated in opposite directions. Ahsoka greeted Padmé with an exasperated smile, whereas Anakin grabbed Obi-wan's arm. "Can you _believe _Ahsoka?" He asked incredulously. "She says she saved me! Like I needed help!"

Obi-wan lifted an eyebrow. Anakin suddenly felt silent and his swagger faded. He cleared his throat awkwardly and looked down at the ground. "Er…I just wanted to say…I made a mistake." Anakin said slowly. "It was unfair to sack you."

"No, don't worry about it." Obi-wan replied with a small smile. "Buy me a drink and we'll call it even."

Anakin blinked. "I can't be really seen buying drinks for my servant." He said awkwardly. Obi-wan shrugged but nodded. That was understandable. Then, he turned to look at Anakin. "Your servant?" He asked. "You sacked me, remember?"

Anakin shrugged in reply. "And now I'm re-hiring you!" He said, giving Obi-wan a hearty thump on the back. "My chambers are a mess, my clothes need washing, my armor needs repairing, my boots need cleaning, my dogs need exercising, my fireplace needs sweeping, my bed needs changing and someone needs to muck out my stables…"

It took everything in Obi-wan to not sigh in exasperation.

* * *

**A/N: Because again, let's be real - Anakin and Ahsoka would do something like this. XD **

**Ahsoka: I _totally _saved you, Skyguy! **

**Anakin: *pfft* Whaaaat? No, you didn't! **

**Ahsoka: Omigod, you can be _so _stupid sometimes! **

**Anakin: Ergh! *throws up hands* **

**Me: Doods, shut up! Just do the review notice! **

**Anakin: Fine! That way, I won't have to listen to Ahsoka! Please review, give constructive criticism if you have any, and no flames! **

**Ahsoka: Fine! I'm gonna go! **

**Me: Oh, guys, don't fight...*sighs***

**Somewhere in the house: *doors slamming* **

**Me: *cringes* Um...bye, everyone! 'Till next time!**


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